Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to provide indemnity insurance to local authorities for costs incurred as a result of false negative results from mass covid-19 testing.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have agreed to provide contingent liability cover for clinical negligence and product liability for local authorities and Directors of Public Health carrying out testing as part of the community testing programme.
People should continue to abide by the current restrictions which apply even when someone has a negative test result.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising for covid-19 vaccination people who live with those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and who are suffering from blood cancer.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has advised that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems. Therefore, in line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be initially rolled out to the priority groups.
This includes care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and those aged 16-64 years old with certain underlying health conditions. Individuals with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment are considered clinically extremely vulnerable and will be eligible for a vaccine. Anyone with a history of haematological malignancy should be offered a vaccination at priority group six.
Consideration has been given to vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Evidence is expected to accrue during the course of the vaccine programme and until that time the JCVI is not in a position to advise vaccination solely on the basis of indirect protection.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what priority will be given to workers in homeless hostels for covid-19 vaccination.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
If staff working in homeless hostels are captured in phase one due to their age or clinical risk factors they will be prioritised. However the Government, as advised by the JCVI, are not considering vaccinating such workers as a phase one priority at this stage. Prioritisation decisions for next phase delivery are subject to surveillance and monitoring data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts such as the JCVI. Phase two may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of covid-19 transmission in theatres.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We know that the virus spreads readily in indoor environments where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together, so the transmission risk in indoor settings remains high. Our approach has always been guided by scientific and medical advice. The restrictions that apply at each tier will be reviewed every 28 days to ensure they remain necessary and proportionate.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the Royal College of Nursing’s campaign for Government to provide a life assurance scheme to English student nurses working on the front line during the second wave of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government holds all healthcare students in the highest regard and greatly appreciates their contribution to the National Health Service.
The NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme provides additional financial protection for frontline staff who are employed to deliver care for people and work in environments that carry an increased risk of contracting coronavirus.
Whilst the scheme is designed to cover employed staff, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care recognises the importance of the role students on placement play in supporting frontline health and social care services and so can exercise his discretion and consider cases from individuals who meet the appropriate eligibility criteria.
The Secretary of State will review each case to decide whether to exercise this discretion and if the other eligibility criteria are met.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of the effect on the pay of (a) NHS and (b) social care staff of the pay proposals in his Spending Review 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Given the impact of COVID-19 on our health services, the Government will continue to provide for pay rises for over one million National Health Service workers in 2021/22. For the NHS, the Government will ask the independent pay review bodies (PRB) to make recommendations, including ensuring that staff earning less than £24,000 receive a minimum of £250 increase. The Government will take PRBs recommendations into account when we receive them.
The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who ultimately set their pay, independent of central Government. While social care for some people is funded by local authorities, many people pay for their own care. We are providing councils with access to an additional £1 billion for social care.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce fines for those who test positive for covid-19 and refuse to give details of their contacts.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 28 September people who test positive for COVID-19 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace and told to self-isolate must do so by law. The legal duty also requires people to provide accurate details of their household contacts and not to obstruct the work of contact tracers. The legal duty will be enforced with fines for those that do not comply.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to develop advice for people who were previously shielding tailored to the risk associated with their particular disease, including different types of blood cancer, in the event that further restrictions are introduced as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Shielding was paused on 1 August 2020 in England; however, it is important that clinically extremely vulnerable people continue to take extra care, particularly as infection rates rise again. On 13 October, the Government published new guidance to the clinically extremely vulnerable that advises additional things they are advised to do to keep themselves safe at each local COVID alert level.
In the future, the Government will only reintroduce shielding advice in the very worst affected areas and for a limited period of time. This decision will be based on advice from the Chief Medical Officer, informed by local public health experts.
The National Health Service is continuing to maintain the shielded patient list, allowing us to maintain targeted advice and support to those who are most vulnerable and to change advice and support if necessary. General practitioners and hospital clinicians remain able to add people to the list, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of an individual’s needs.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when assessment he has made of the timescale for the approval of lenalidomide as a maintenance drug for post stem cell transplant treatment of Myeloma.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance on lenalidomide for the maintenance treatment of multiple myeloma after autologous stem cell transplantation.
NICE expects to publish final guidance on lenalidomide in January 2021.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 August 2020 to Question 74433 on Coronavirus: Protective Clothing, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of producing a national badge or pass to indicate when individuals are exempt from wearing a face mask on public transport or in shops.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Those who have an age, health or disability reason for not wearing a face covering should not be asked to give any written evidence of this, this includes exemption cards. No person needs to seek advice or request a letter from a medical professional about their reason for not wearing a face covering.
Some people may feel more comfortable showing something that says they do not have to wear a face covering. Different options are available on GOV.UK (including printable templates and a template for mobile telephones), and on charity and organisations websites, or could be hand-made. This aims to help tackle any potential stigma that may be faced by people who are unable to wear a face covering due to hidden disabilities and/or mental health reasons.