Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has allocated additional funding to sexual health services in response to recent cases of monkeypox.
Answered by Maggie Throup
While no specific additional funding has been allocated, we are providing more than £3.4 billion to local authorities through the Public Health Grant to invest in essential frontline services, including sexual health services. The UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) is supporting sexual health services during the outbreak, including the identification and management of infected cases. We are working with commissioners and providers of sexual health services to monitor the impact of monkeypox on these services.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of monkeypox on (a) sexual health service capacity and (b) the ability of that service to meet demands in access to testing, treatment and prevention of (i) HIV and (ii) other sexually transmitted infections.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No specific assessment has been made. However, the UK Health Security Agency continues to support sexual health services during the monkeypox outbreak.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many vaccines are available for pre-exposure to monkeypox as of 12 July 2022; and whether his Department has plans to procure more of those vaccines.
Answered by Maggie Throup
As of 12 July 2022, the UK Health Security Agency has purchased approximately 30,000 doses of the smallpox vaccine Imvanex. Vaccines are being offered to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men considered to be at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox. Several thousand doses have been distributed for use, while remaining doses are retained centrally.
We are monitoring demand and remain in discussions with the manufacturer to procure further doses as required.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of the access to IVF treatment on the NHS for (a) married couples and (b) single women.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No assessment has been made as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects fertility treatment data based on involvement of a partner and not on marital status.
National Health Service commissioning organisations make decisions on fertility services taking account of the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s fertility guidelines. These guidelines are based around the treatment of clinical infertility in couples. Single people are therefore not routinely treated by the NHS for in-vitro fertilisation.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the HIV Action Plan commitment to develop a specific plan to drive innovation in PrEP delivery to improve access for key groups, including provision of PrEP in settings outside of sexual and reproductive health services.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The development of a plan to provide HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in settings outside of sexual and reproductive health services will commence in the autumn. We are currently gathering evidence to inform the development of the plan, including research being undertaken by the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group to understand why some groups who would benefit from PrEP do not access it. It will also be informed by a pilot scheme for accessing PrEP in prisons, data collected by the UK Health Security Agency and the evaluation of community pharmacy provision of PrEP services by the Sexual and Reproductive Health Innovation Fund.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of access to HIV prevention drug, PrEP, by population group.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Routine pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV began in England in autumn 2020. The UK Health Security Agency’s Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance System collects data from sexual health services on PrEP eligibility, offer and use and the number of tablets prescribed. This data is due to be published later in 2022, after a full year of data for 2021 has been reported. Where possible, this will be presented by key population group and geographical region.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19, published February 2022, whether an equality impact assessment for that document.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Government plans to hold (a) Integrated Care Boards and (b) other parts of the health service to account in the event that they fail to meet their legal duties in respect of provision of support to children with SEND and their families.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The Care Quality Commission and Ofsted’s joint inspections of special educational needs and disability (SEND) services within integrated care system areas will provide an independent, external evaluation of a local area’s arrangements for children and young people with SEND. Where appropriate, recommendations can be made for improvements. These inspections of local areas will provide information to the Government on the effectiveness of service and enable action to be taken where necessary.
Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, NHS England will have powers of intervention where an integrated care board has failed, or is at risk of failing, to meet its statutory obligations with regards to children and young people with SEND.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure section 3A of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (HFEA) does not discriminate against people living with HIV.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government has no current plans to review the legislation related to the quality and safety of reproductive tissues and cells.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent correspondence his Department has received on the restrictions on gamete donations for people living with HIV.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government has no current plans to review the legislation related to the quality and safety of reproductive tissues and cells.
The Department recently contributed to a response to correspondence on the current guidance for gamete donation and people living with HIV. In the reply we stated that, in view of the current scientific understanding of HIV transmission risk, the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs does not support or advise a change to the current guidance.