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Written Question
Long Covid: Drugs
Thursday 28th March 2024

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to review the eligibility criteria for antivirals for those suffering from long covid.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions on the eligibility criteria for treatment with antivirals are made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), based on an assessment of their costs and benefits, developed in line with marketing authorisations issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The NICE has published guidance that recommends the antivirals Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio for the treatment of COVID-19, both in the community, and for patients in hospital. This guidance sets out the eligibility criteria and ensures that patients who are at the highest risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19 have access to clinically and cost-effective treatments. Patients with long COVID have not been identified as a distinct group that would be eligible for treatment, and there are currently no licensed antivirals for the treatment of long COVID. The NICE therefore has no current plans to review the eligibility criteria in its guidance. The NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance, and would consult on proposed changes if significant new evidence were to emerge.


Written Question
NHS: Long Covid
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the impact that long covid has had on the NHS workforce.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of collecting data on the prevalence of long COVID. On 25 April 2024, the Office for National Statistics will be publishing additional analysis from the fortnightly Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, including data on trends in ongoing symptoms of COVID-19. This article will expand on the existing analysis published in the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study’s data tables, to look more in depth at trends in self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, including ongoing symptoms and associated risk factors. No assessment has been made of the impact that long COVID has had on the National Health Service workforce.


Written Question
Long Covid
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the prevalence of long covid.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of collecting data on the prevalence of long COVID. On 25 April 2024, the Office for National Statistics will be publishing additional analysis from the fortnightly Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, including data on trends in ongoing symptoms of COVID-19. This article will expand on the existing analysis published in the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study’s data tables, to look more in depth at trends in self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, including ongoing symptoms and associated risk factors. No assessment has been made of the impact that long COVID has had on the National Health Service workforce.


Written Question
Protective Clothing: Procurement
Thursday 16th March 2023

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

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 value for money of personal protective equipment procured under covid-19 emergency regulations.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol South on 6 February 2023 to Question 903412.


Written Question
Prisoners: Palliative Care
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the consistency of provision of palliative and end of life care across the prison estate.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

No specific assessments have been made.

However, the ‘National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England 2018 – 2021’ has supported the implementation of the Dying Well in Custody Charter in the English estate. The National Partnership Agreement's workplan sets out how NHS England and HM Prison and Probation Service can continue improvements to health and social care outcomes for older people and those with serious illnesses, including palliative and end of life care. A revised workplan for 2022 to 2025 is currently being developed.

NHS England is convening a joint working group with HM Prison and Probation Service to conduct a review of current progress in delivering the Dying Well in Custody Charter workplan. This group will also consider opportunities to develop networks and forums for sharing good practice. The Ministry of Justice will publish the Aging Prison Population Strategy in due course and how the Dying Well in Custody Charter will be embedded within prisons.


Written Question
Prisoners: Palliative Care
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment she has made of the (a) access to and (b) quality of palliative and end of life care in (i) prisons and (ii) the community.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

No specific assessments have been made.

However, the ‘National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England 2018 – 2021’ has supported the implementation of the Dying Well in Custody Charter in the English estate. The National Partnership Agreement's workplan sets out how NHS England and HM Prison and Probation Service can continue improvements to health and social care outcomes for older people and those with serious illnesses, including palliative and end of life care. A revised workplan for 2022 to 2025 is currently being developed.

NHS England is convening a joint working group with HM Prison and Probation Service to conduct a review of current progress in delivering the Dying Well in Custody Charter workplan. This group will also consider opportunities to develop networks and forums for sharing good practice. The Ministry of Justice will publish the Aging Prison Population Strategy in due course and how the Dying Well in Custody Charter will be embedded within prisons.


Written Question
Prisoners: Palliative Care
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that every prison in England is (a) aware of the Dying Well in Custody Charter and (b) uses the Charter to improve the palliative and end of life care their prisoners receive.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

No specific assessments have been made.

However, the ‘National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England 2018 – 2021’ has supported the implementation of the Dying Well in Custody Charter in the English estate. The National Partnership Agreement's workplan sets out how NHS England and HM Prison and Probation Service can continue improvements to health and social care outcomes for older people and those with serious illnesses, including palliative and end of life care. A revised workplan for 2022 to 2025 is currently being developed.

NHS England is convening a joint working group with HM Prison and Probation Service to conduct a review of current progress in delivering the Dying Well in Custody Charter workplan. This group will also consider opportunities to develop networks and forums for sharing good practice. The Ministry of Justice will publish the Aging Prison Population Strategy in due course and how the Dying Well in Custody Charter will be embedded within prisons.


Written Question
Medical Examinations: Prisoners
Thursday 9th June 2022

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on adopting a similar model to the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool for (a) male and (b) female prisoners with built-in evaluation.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

There are no plans to do so as the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool is used only in the children and young people estate and is not appropriate for the adult estate. Adults entering prisons in England receive an initial health screening based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance. NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently reviewing the existing reception screening tool within the female estate. The outcome of this review is due to be reported in late summer.


Written Question
Prisoners: Palliative Care
Tuesday 19th April 2022

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prisoners received end of life care in the last year.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The information requested is not held centrally.


Written Question
Mental Health: Prisoners
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of prisoners received mental health screening check on entering prison.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

Each prisoner is offered a healthcare screen at reception on arrival before being escorted to the residential unit. The reception screening is designed to ensure that the individual is safe before the offer of a second screen within seven days.

Both reception and secondary health screenings contain mental health screening questions to identify immediate risks and whether a referral to the prison integrated mental health service is required. Between April 2021 and February 2022, 87% of people entering prison received a reception screen within 24 hours of arriving.