Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how members of the public can submit a written or email submission in response to his Department’s consultation document on Home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following a commitment made in Parliament earlier this year, we have now launched a three month consultation on whether to make permanent the current temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. We welcome feedback from anyone with an interest or view on this subject, particularly from those who have been directly affected by the current temporary measure.
Responses can be submitted online to the consultation at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion
If an individual is unable to complete the online form, they can contact our correspondence team at the following link:
https://contactus.dhsc.gov.uk/
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many tests the Southend covid-19 testing centres at (a) Short Street and (b) Southend Airport (i) have the capacity to carry out and (ii) are carrying out.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of students attending Manchester University who have been admitted to hospital with covid-19 symptoms since the start of the 2020-21 academic year.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The data requested is not centrally collected.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister in his Department has responsibility to make an assessment of the effect of the temporary measure to approve both sets of medication for early medical abortion to be taken at home during the covid-19 outbreak; when such information with be made available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Responsibility for abortion policy within the Department falls within my Ministerial portfolio.
The Department continues to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as a place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken up to 10 weeks gestation.
The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. Further details on the consultation will be available in due course.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) home birth services and (b) midwifery units temporarily closed after 1 March 2020; and on what date each of those units reopened.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
This information is not currently held in the format requested.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Trusts have provided standard-of-care access to all four birthing options during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
This information is not currently held in the format requested.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with learning disabilities living (a) independently, (b) with family and (c) in care homes receive equal access to testing and treatment for covid-19; and whether he plans to allocate resources to enable the safe return to community (i) activities and (ii) services to support the (A) physical and (B) mental well-being of those people.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
From 7 June 2020 all remaining adult care homes will be able to access whole care home testing for all residents and asymptomatic staff through the digital portal at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-care-home
We expect that access to services that support people with learning disabilities should be restored as soon as is appropriate, in line with social distancing guidelines, and as regulations and guidance permit. Work is underway to plan for an expected increase in demand for patients needing mental health support due to COVID-19. Existing mental health services are open and available for any person requiring support.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who have died from covid-19 to date had underlying health problems.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collates official statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. An ONS report published on 16 April analysed deaths involving COVID-19 that occurred in the month of March and found that 91% of deaths involved some form of pre-existing condition. The most frequent pre-existing condition was ischaemic heart disease, involved in 14% of cases. Information can be found on their website at the following link:
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) baby food, (b) infant formula and (c) infant medication continue to be available during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has introduced new measures to support businesses to keep food, including baby food, supply flowing on to shelves and into homes, such as temporary relaxation of competition laws to allow supermarkets to work together, extending delivery hours to supermarkets and flexing rules on drivers’ hours to allow a higher frequency of deliveries to stores to ensure shelves are being replenished more quickly.
In relation to infant formula, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Alison Thewliss MP) on 26 March to Question 30064.
The Department is working closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, including infant medications, and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages. The steps being taken to protect United Kingdom supplies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak were set out in the Department’s press statement issued on 11 February 2020. This statement can be read at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-monitor-impact-of-coronavirus-on-uk-medicine-supply
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what steps he is taking to improve services provided by community pharmacists.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Through our ‘pharmacy first’ approach, we want to unlock the potential of community pharmacy.
Our landmark five-year contractual framework sets out an expanded role for community pharmacy to help people stay well closer to home.
This winter, more than 114,000 people with minor illnesses or medication needs have received same-day consultations with their highly skilled local community pharmacist following a new referral service from NHS 111.