Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the £150 million in additional funding to support the hospice sector in response to the covid-19 outbreak that his Department was scheduled to pay in July 2020 has yet to be paid.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement recognise the huge role palliative and end of life care services, including hospices, have played in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This importance was acknowledged in the provision of over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector between April and July 2020. The proportion of this additional funding that was scheduled to be paid in July 2020 is currently subject to financial reconciliation.

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 17 November 2020 to Question 54271, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that advice given during consultation on abortion complications is accurate for the patient in circumstances where there is no in-person examination or ultrasound to determine gestational age.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Clinicians will discuss possible complications with the woman during the consultation and women will be provided with written advice and information about possible symptoms, including those which would necessitate urgent review. Women have access to a 24 hour telephone helpline should they have any concerns.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on ‘Coronavirus infection and abortion care’. The guidance sets out the circumstances where women should be asked to attend a clinic for an ultra-sound scan. However it states that “most women can determine the gestational age of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy by last menstrual period (LMP) alone”. The RCOG guidance includes a decision aid for clinicians to use to help determine if an ultra-sound scan is required. This includes detailed questions to identify gestational age.

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 adequacy of the information provided to women undergoing consultation for late-term abortions; and whether women undergoing those consultations are informed that a child could live at 22 weeks outside the womb and feel pain.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not set clinical practice. To support clinical practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines on The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion and Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice, which is available at the following links:

https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf

https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf

The RCOG have identified the Report ‘Fetal Awareness: Review and Recommendations for Practice’ should be reviewed, following the recent publication of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidance on best practice abortion care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional nurses have been recruited to (a) Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust since December 2019.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.

It is usual to provide year-on-year figures due to changes in the number of doctors throughout the year being linked to the recruitment and training cycles. The following table shows the change in the number of nurses and health visitors employed in Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust from both September and December 2019 to September 2020, full-time equivalent.

Source: NHS Digital NHS HCHS workforce statistics

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 increasing (a) recruitment and (b) retention of (i) doctors and (ii) nurses in the NHS.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are the NHS: People Plan 2020/2021 sets out actions to expand and develop our workforce by retaining staff for longer and building on the renewed interest in National Health Service (NHS) careers. The next phase of the NHS People Plan will focus on workforce growth and ensuring it has the right skills mix in place for a flexible and modern NHS.

Through its ‘looking after our people - retention programme’ which launched in the summer of 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement are supporting employers and managers to value, support and retain their staff both clinical and non-clinical. This is achieved through a new employer portal of guidance and best practice and direct support for systems and organisations across each of the domains of the people promise. Flexible working and the health and wellbeing of staff remain a key focus of the retention initiatives.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional doctors have been recruited to (a) Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust since December 2019.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.

Year-on-year figures are usually provided due to changes in the number of doctors throughout the year being linked to the recruitment and training cycles. The following table shows the change in the number of doctors employed in Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust from both September 2019 and December 2019 to September 2020, full-time equivalent.

Source: NHS Digital NHS HCHS workforce statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the temporary measure allowing medical abortions to happen outside a clinical environment, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that potential abuse, coercion and sex-trafficking of under 18s who may request medical abortions at home under that measure is detected.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Safeguarding is an essential component of abortion services. All providers must comply with legal requirements and have regard to any statutory guidance relating to children, young people and vulnerable adults. Providers must ensure that all staff are trained in recognising the signs of potential abuse and know how to respond. Providers must have written guidance that staff are aware of and can easily refer to as well as easy access to a named lead in the organisation for guidance and advice.

It is also a requirement that clinicians caring for women requesting abortion should be able to identify those who require more support than can be provided in the routine abortion service setting, for example young women, those with a pre-existing mental health condition, those who are subject to sexual violence or poor social support, or where there is evidence of coercion. These requirements apply to all consultations whether they take place via video link, telephone call or face to face.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients suffering with (a) Alzheimer's disease and (b) other forms of dementia were granted NHS Continuing Care in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Determination of eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is based on an assessment of care needs and is not based on a specific medical condition, disease or diagnosis. Eligibility is determined by whether a person has a primary health need as set out in the national framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care. Consequently, figures which are condition-specific are not collected by NHS England.

NHS England have interpreted ‘initial assessments’ to mean how many people go from an initial screening process to a full assessment. This data is not collected. NHS England have interpreted ‘full assessments’ to refer to the number of people who have a full NHS CHC assessment and are found eligible. Data on NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility rates is published quarterly and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients suffering from cancer (a) with which they were expected to live for more than six months and (b) from which they were diagnosed as terminally ill and likely to die within six months were granted NHS continuing care in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Determination of eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is based on an assessment of care needs and is not based on a specific medical condition, disease or diagnosis. Eligibility is determined by whether a person has a primary health need as set out in the national framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care. Consequently, figures which are condition-specific are not collected by NHS England.

NHS England have interpreted ‘initial assessments’ to mean how many people go from an initial screening process to a full assessment. This data is not collected. NHS England have interpreted ‘full assessments’ to refer to the number of people who have a full NHS CHC assessment and are found eligible. Data on NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility rates is published quarterly and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/

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 estimate of how many Do Not Attempt CPR forms unlawfully applied to the files of older care home residents between 1 March and 1 June 2020 (a) have been reviewed in consultation with the individual or their representative and (b) remain in place.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Adult Social Care Winter Plan reinforces that any advance care decision, including Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions, should be fully discussed with the individual and their family where possible and appropriate, and signed by the clinician responsible for their care.

The Department has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review how DNACPR decisions were used during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work is ongoing. The review will take a national view of how these decisions were made and will inform national learning and good practice development as the nation continues to respond to the pandemic. The CQC is working closely with stakeholders, users of services and providers. Interim findings were published on 3 December, with a final report due in early 2021.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will instruct care providers to review all Do Not Attempt CPR notices applied on older care home residents’ files since 1 March 2020 in consultation with the individuals or their representative.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Adult Social Care Winter Plan reinforces that any advance care decision, including Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions, should be fully discussed with the individual and their family where possible and appropriate, and signed by the clinician responsible for their care.

The Department has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review how DNACPR decisions were used during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work is ongoing. The review will take a national view of how these decisions were made and will inform national learning and good practice development as the nation continues to respond to the pandemic. The CQC is working closely with stakeholders, users of services and providers. Interim findings were published on 3 December, with a final report due in early 2021.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many abortion pills were issued by post in the first six months since the introduction of temporary provisions permitting the application of both sets of abortion pills at home.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold information on the method of delivery for abortion pills.

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 1 July 2019 to Question 269708, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' steps to prevent foetal pain since July 2019.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not set clinical practice. To support clinical practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines on ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:

https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf

https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to an NHS email of 21 May 2020 from a Regional Chief Midwife on the reported escalating risk relating to home medical abortions, what assessment he has made of the veracity of incidents cited in that email of (a) women attending ED with significant pain and bleeding related to the process through to ruptured ectopics, major resuscitation for major haemorrhage and the delivery of infants who are up to 30 weeks gestation, (b) three police investigations including a murder investigation as there is a concern that the baby was live born and (c) a woman receiving pills at 32 weeks' gestation; and whether he holds information on similar incidents and in that or other regions in the last eight months.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Safe, continued access to key services is our priority during this difficult period. We are aware of a small number of incidents which we are looking into alongside with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other partners.

The Department is aware of reports of two women who died after seeking abortion treatment earlier this year. Both deaths have been appropriately investigated and in one case investigations are continuing. For the other case, the coroner concluded that there was no evidence to suggest the pregnancy or abortion contributed to the death either directly or indirectly. Both women attended an abortion service in person and based on information provided to the Department at least one of these women was supplied with pills to take at home under the 2018 approval.

We continue to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as of place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken. Officials have regular meetings with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the CQC and abortion service providers to ensure the appropriate safeguards are in place to protect women accessing this service.

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 3 November 2020 to Question 99518 on Abortion: Private Sector, whether the incidents of complications relating to home medical abortion referred to in an NHS email of 21 May 2020 from a regional chief midwife describing an escalating risk of the Pills by Post scheme have been investigated.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Safe, continued access to key services is our priority during this difficult period. We are aware of a small number of incidents which we are looking into alongside with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other partners.

The Department is aware of reports of two women who died after seeking abortion treatment earlier this year. Both deaths have been appropriately investigated and in one case investigations are continuing. For the other case, the coroner concluded that there was no evidence to suggest the pregnancy or abortion contributed to the death either directly or indirectly. Both women attended an abortion service in person and based on information provided to the Department at least one of these women was supplied with pills to take at home under the 2018 approval.

We continue to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as of place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken. Officials have regular meetings with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the CQC and abortion service providers to ensure the appropriate safeguards are in place to protect women accessing this service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Government guidance that states, Anyone who has previously received a positive test result for covid-19 should only be re-tested within a 90-day period if they develop any new symptoms of covid-19, whether a person who has tested positive for covid-19 and has completed 14 days of isolation is required to isolate again if a subsequent test within 90 days is positive but the person is displaying no symptoms.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has completed 14 days of isolation is required to isolate again if a subsequent test within 90 days is positive but the person is displaying no symptoms.

Anyone who has previously received a positive test result for COVID-19 should only be re-tested within a 90-day period if they develop any new symptoms of COVID-19. This is because it is possible for tests to detect residual virus for some time after COVID-19 infection.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date the initial pilot to give families key worker status in care homes will be evaluated; and what his Department's timetable is for rolling out that pilot to care homes throughout England.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We want to bring an end to the pain of separation and help care homes bring families and loved ones together.

Following a successful trial in 20 care homes, we have started the phased rollout of new rapid tests to support visiting. The first 385 care homes are now able to begin testing visitors and we aim to roll this out to care homes across England by Christmas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of polymerase chain reaction tests for covid-19 give a false negative result.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In June 2020 the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies published a briefing paper on the impact of false positives and false negatives in the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing programme, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gos-impact-of-false-positives-and-negatives-3-june-2020

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure funding announced for hospices as part of the £750 million funding package for the voluntary and charitable sector announced on 8 April 2020 is disbursed to Willowbrook Hospice in St Helens, Knowsley.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England and NHS Improvement have confirmed that Willowbrook Hospice received a total of £610,016 as part of the national funding package to purchase additional capacity from hospices between April and July 2020. This was in addition to any local funding received via clinical commissioning groups for business as usual activity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a response to EDM 521 on UK law on disability-selective abortion tabled by the hon. Member for Upper Bann.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Parliament decided the circumstances under which abortion can legally be undertaken. It would be for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time for an initial appointment with the NHS's adult hearing screening service was in the last six months for which data is available.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his speech at the PinkNews summer reception on 4 July 2019, when his Department intends to (a) complete and (b) publish the review into IVF treatment equality for all, including the LGBT community.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The internal review of National Health Service fertility services has been delayed due to prioritisation issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the review to be commissioned and report in 2021.

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 lift restrictions on care home visits to enable families to visit loved ones with dementia.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We appreciate the particular challenges visiting restrictions pose for people with dementia and their loved ones.

On 15 October we published updated visiting guidance for care homes. Care homes can develop a policy for limited visits, following the advice set out in this guidance. This should be on the basis of a dynamic risk assessment which takes into account circumstances and needs of the individual care setting including both residents and staff, and the external COVID-19 environment including local COVID alert levels. This should include an assessment of whether residents’ needs make them particularly clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 and if they make visits particularly important. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus/update-on-policies-for-visiting-arrangements-in-care-homes

This guidance will be updated as the risk posed by COVID-19 continues to change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that care homes are prepared for a second wave of covid-19 ahead of winter 2020-21.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Adult Social Care Winter Plan published on 18 September sets out the actions we are taking at a national level to support those who provide and receive care. It also outlines the actions every local area (local authorities and National Health Service partners) and every care provider must be taking right now to protect residents and staff in care homes.

Our commitments in The Adult Social Care Winter Plan includes:

- Continuing to engage with local authorities, care providers, people with care and support needs, and their families and carers to understand their needs and provide support;

- Provide £546 million through the Infection Control Fund, set up in May, which has now been extended until March 2021, to help the care sector restrict the movement of staff between care homes to stop the spread of the virus;

- We will support care homes and domiciliary care providers by providing free PPE for their Covid-19 needs until March 2021;

- Making the flu vaccine available for free to all health and care staff, personal assistants, and unpaid carers; and

- Introducing tightened measures which will enable residents and their loved ones to have safe visits to care homes.

Working together will ensure that high-quality, safe and timely care is provided to everyone who needs it, whilst protecting people who need care especially those who are older or living with underlying health conditions who may be more vulnerable to the virus, their carers and the social care workforce from COVID-19.

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 the implications for his policies of the recommendations of the August 2020 report of the Queen's Nursing Institute, which called for an inquiry into the blanket application of Do Not Resuscitate orders in care homes during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is aware of the Queen’s Nursing Institute report. There were 163 responses to the survey with 16 reporting some changes to standard Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) practice. Work is underway by NHS England and NHS Improvement to consider the responses and discuss the findings at a local level.

The Department has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review how DNACPR decisions were used during the COVID-19 pandemic, building on concerns that the CQC reported earlier in the year. Interim findings are expected to be reported later this year with a final report in early 2021.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to enable residents of care settings to safely visit their family members.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since the start of this pandemic, we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care, including for visits.

We know how important it is for residents in care settings to be able to spend time with their loved ones, including to make visits outside of the care home setting. Guidance to local areas and care providers on visits out of a care home, for example to a family home, is being developed and will be published shortly.

This will supplement our existing guidance on visiting arrangements into care homes – that supports care homes to develop their visiting policies based on a local dynamic risk assessment, led by the relevant Director of Public Health.

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 UK adults diagnosed with an immune-mediated inflammatory condition have achieved their NICE-recommended treatment target within each of the last five years.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data requested is not centrally held.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequate future supply of cardiologists to work in the NHS.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As at June 2020, the number of doctors of all grades in the specialties of cardiology and paediatric cardiology in England was 3,600 full time equivalent. Of these, 1,589 were consultants. This is an increase of 1,168, of which 646 are consultants, since 2010. The specialty is popular, with a 96% to 100% fill rate for training posts every year.

We have increased the number of medical school places by 1,500 over the last three years and have more medical students in training than at any other time in National Health Service history. As part of this record expansion, we opened five new medical schools across the country. This will ensure a significant further increase in the supply of doctors, including a larger pipeline for cardiologists, in coming years.

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 ensure that funding from the public purse is allocated to support the provision of adequate NHS staffing levels to (a) diagnose and (b) treat patients with cancer in the (i) short and (ii) long term.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

‘We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/2021 – action for us all’ sets out actions to support transformation across the whole National Health Service, including the following commitment on the cancer workforce:

In 2021, Health Education England is prioritising the training of 400 clinical endoscopists and 450 reporting radiographers. Training grants are being offered for 350 nurses to become cancer nurse specialists and chemotherapy nurses, training 58 biomedical scientists, developing an advanced clinical practice qualification in oncology, and extending cancer support-worker training.

The 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review will set out the Government’s spending plans for health and social care for future years. The Government will set out the results of the Spending Review in due course.

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 the effect of advice from healthcare professionals following prenatal disability diagnoses on the decision of a pregnant women to (a) continue or (b) terminate their pregnancy.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made a recent assessment on the effect of advice from healthcare professionals following prenatal disability diagnoses on the decision of pregnant women to continue or terminate their pregnancy.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published guidance on Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality in England, Scotland and Wales. The guidance sets out that all staff involved in the care of a woman or couple facing a possible termination of pregnancy must adopt a non-directive, non-judgemental and supportive approach.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with care homes that require relatives to sign Do Not Resuscitate orders (DNRs) for residents; and what steps he is taking in response to situations where people have lost their lives as a result of a DNR having been required by the care home.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England and NHS Improvement have confirmed that there has never been an instruction or directive issued by the National Health Service to put in place blanket ‘Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) decisions for any group of people in hospitals or care homes.

The Department remains clear that the blanket application of DNACPRs is unacceptable and that standards and quality of care should be maintained even in pressurised circumstances. The Adult Social Care Winter Plan published on 18 September 2020 reiterates this.

The Department has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review how DNACPR decisions were used during the COVID-19 pandemic, building on concerns that the CQC reported earlier in the year. Interim findings are expected to be reported later this year with a final report in early 2021.

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 enable access to weekly covid-19 testing for relatives of care home residents to facilitate safe visiting.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise how important it is to allow care home residents to safely meet their loved ones, especially for those at the end of their lives. We appreciate the particular challenges visiting restrictions pose for people with dementia, people with learning disabilities and autistic adults, amongst others, as well as for their loved ones.

We have provided guidance on how providers can support visiting as part of the Adult Social Care Winter Plan, setting out tightened infection prevention and control measures to enable visits to continue safely.

Further to this we are working up proposals to run a pilot for specific visitors to care homes who provide regular close personal care which is aligned to residents' needs and visit multiple times a week. We will work with clinicians and stakeholder groups to develop this with an aim to launch the pilot in early November.

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 the availability of weekly covid-19 testing for staff and residents in supported living settings.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are rolling out national testing to all extra care and supported living settings that meet the following criteria:

- A closed community with substantial facilities shared between multiple people; and

- Where most residents receive the kind of personal care that is Care Quality Commission-regulated (rather than help with cooking, cleaning and shopping).

We will use the data from this initial round of testing to inform our retesting approach in extra care and supported living and will continue to review our social care testing strategy in light of the latest evidence and available capacity.

If a supported living or extra care setting has a suspected outbreak, they should contact their local health protection team immediately who will undertake an initial risk assessment, provide advice on outbreak management and decide what testing is needed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of nurses the NHS needed to be able to safely meet demand and (b) the specialisms requiring additional nurses.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will support the introduction of additional medical schools.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has expanded the number of places available in medical schools in England and there are now an extra 1,500 student doctors who entered training over the past three years. As part of this expansion, five new medical schools have been opened around England.

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 policies on nursing staff retention of the Public Accounts Committee's report entitled, NHS Nursing Workforce, Eighteenth Report of Session 2019–21, HC408.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department will respond to the Public Accounts Committee with regards to the National Health Service nursing workforce: Eighteenth Report of Session 2019-21 in line with the formal Treasury Minute process. The Treasury Minute is due to be published on 16 November 2020.

Nursing staff retention is a priority for this Government and a key aspect of the 50,000 nurses commitment.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Retention Programme supports local delivery and launched a large-scale pathfinder programme across three regions in September to explore further how staff can be empowered and supported to remain part of the workforce. This programme has an initial focus on nursing but will encompass the entire NHS workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that relevant professionals across health services receive training in the identification of psychiatric illness in parents who have experienced pregnancy and baby loss.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Training programmes for healthcare professionals must meet the standards set by the regulatory body for their profession.

Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasize the skills and approaches a healthcare practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

Curricula for specialities and roles that regularly treat pregnant and post-partum patients will contain competencies relating to understanding and identifying the psychological and mental health impacts of pregnancy, birth and baby loss, and assessing the health of women.

An example is outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s ‘Standards for competence for registered midwives’ requirement: providing care for women who have suffered pregnancy loss which is available at the following link:

https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/nmc-standards-for-competence-for-registered-midwives.pdf

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the time it will take for Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Authorities to process the NHS Continuing Healthcare referrals, reviews and assessments received between 19 March and 31 August 2020.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We understand that the deferred case assessments will have workload implications for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), the wider National Health Service and local authorities. NHS Continuing Healthcare referrals, reviews and assessments should be completed as soon as is practical and CCGs are expected to carry out this activity in a timely manner.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Continuing Healthcare (a) referrals, (b) reviews and (c) assessments were received by local health and social care systems between 19 March and 31 August 2020.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

During the COVID-19 emergency period, National Health Service Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC) assessments were not required, due to changes made as part of section 14 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. The sector has been asked to reintroduce CHC processes from 1 September 2020.

Data from the NHS CHC Deferred Assessments Situation Report shows that as at 1 September 2020, 37,672 referrals for NHS CHC had been received relating to the period between 19 March and 31 August 2020. This figure includes pre-COVID-19 emergency period cases that were already in progress on 19 March 2020 and which were paused due to COVID-19 pressures or provided with COVID-19 funding, as a result of the COVID-19 Act and discharge requirements.

Data for NHS CHC reviews is not collected centrally.

Statistics relating to the completion of NHS CHC assessments are published on a quarterly basis. For Quarter 1 2020/21, covering the period 1 April to 30 June 2020, this data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/

Quarter 2 2020/21 data, for the period 1 July to 30 September 2020 will be published in November 2020 and will be available at the same link.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allocate funding to enable the reopening of social care day centres for people with disabilities.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that day services are an important form of support for people with disabilities and those that care for them. We have worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance to help make decisions on restarting services and to provide quality care safely which is available at the following link:

https://www.scie.org.uk/care-providers/coronavirus-covid-19/day-care/safe-delivery

Ensuring the care and support needs of their populations are met is the responsibility of local authorities. No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of provision of social day care for people with disabilities in Poplar and Limehouse constituency and the United Kingdom.

However, on 17 September 2020, the Government announced that it would provide a further £546 million to Adult Social Care through the Infection Control Fund, alongside the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. Up to 20% of this fund can be allocated by local authorities for COVID-19 infection control measures outside of care homes and community care provision. This includes implementing infection control measures to support the resumption of community and day services. In total the Government has provided over £1.1 billion in funding for infection control measures. This is in addition to making £3.7 billion available to local authorities to address pressures on local services caused by COVID-19, including adult social care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussion he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding to support the reopening of social care day centres for people with disabilities.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that day services are an important form of support for people with disabilities and those that care for them. We have worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance to help make decisions on restarting services and to provide quality care safely which is available at the following link:

https://www.scie.org.uk/care-providers/coronavirus-covid-19/day-care/safe-delivery

Ensuring the care and support needs of their populations are met is the responsibility of local authorities. No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of provision of social day care for people with disabilities in Poplar and Limehouse constituency and the United Kingdom.

However, on 17 September 2020, the Government announced that it would provide a further £546 million to Adult Social Care through the Infection Control Fund, alongside the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. Up to 20% of this fund can be allocated by local authorities for COVID-19 infection control measures outside of care homes and community care provision. This includes implementing infection control measures to support the resumption of community and day services. In total the Government has provided over £1.1 billion in funding for infection control measures. This is in addition to making £3.7 billion available to local authorities to address pressures on local services caused by COVID-19, including adult social care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department has not issued guidance on the reopening of social care day centres for people with disabilities.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that day services are an important form of support for people with disabilities and those that care for them. We have worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance to help make decisions on restarting services and to provide quality care safely which is available at the following link:

https://www.scie.org.uk/care-providers/coronavirus-covid-19/day-care/safe-delivery

Ensuring the care and support needs of their populations are met is the responsibility of local authorities. No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of provision of social day care for people with disabilities in Poplar and Limehouse constituency and the United Kingdom.

However, on 17 September 2020, the Government announced that it would provide a further £546 million to Adult Social Care through the Infection Control Fund, alongside the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. Up to 20% of this fund can be allocated by local authorities for COVID-19 infection control measures outside of care homes and community care provision. This includes implementing infection control measures to support the resumption of community and day services. In total the Government has provided over £1.1 billion in funding for infection control measures. This is in addition to making £3.7 billion available to local authorities to address pressures on local services caused by COVID-19, including adult social care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to publish updated guidance on the reopening of social care day centres for people with disabilities.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that day services are an important form of support for people with disabilities and those that care for them. We have worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance to help make decisions on restarting services and to provide quality care safely which is available at the following link:

https://www.scie.org.uk/care-providers/coronavirus-covid-19/day-care/safe-delivery

Ensuring the care and support needs of their populations are met is the responsibility of local authorities. No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of provision of social day care for people with disabilities in Poplar and Limehouse constituency and the United Kingdom.

However, on 17 September 2020, the Government announced that it would provide a further £546 million to Adult Social Care through the Infection Control Fund, alongside the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. Up to 20% of this fund can be allocated by local authorities for COVID-19 infection control measures outside of care homes and community care provision. This includes implementing infection control measures to support the resumption of community and day services. In total the Government has provided over £1.1 billion in funding for infection control measures. This is in addition to making £3.7 billion available to local authorities to address pressures on local services caused by COVID-19, including adult social care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of provision of social day care for people with disabilities in (a) Poplar and Limehouse constituency and (b) the UK.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that day services are an important form of support for people with disabilities and those that care for them. We have worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance to help make decisions on restarting services and to provide quality care safely which is available at the following link:

https://www.scie.org.uk/care-providers/coronavirus-covid-19/day-care/safe-delivery

Ensuring the care and support needs of their populations are met is the responsibility of local authorities. No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of provision of social day care for people with disabilities in Poplar and Limehouse constituency and the United Kingdom.

However, on 17 September 2020, the Government announced that it would provide a further £546 million to Adult Social Care through the Infection Control Fund, alongside the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. Up to 20% of this fund can be allocated by local authorities for COVID-19 infection control measures outside of care homes and community care provision. This includes implementing infection control measures to support the resumption of community and day services. In total the Government has provided over £1.1 billion in funding for infection control measures. This is in addition to making £3.7 billion available to local authorities to address pressures on local services caused by COVID-19, including adult social care.

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 mitigate the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on people with dementia and their carers.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has taken a range of action to support people during the COVID-19 pandemic, including for people with dementia and unpaid carers.

We commissioned research through the National Institute for Health Research on how to manage or mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia and their carers living in the community. Concise advice based on this research for people with dementia and their carers is available at the following link:

http://www.idealproject.org.uk/covid/

Guidance for care homes and for carers on how best to support people living with dementia during the pandemic as well as wider advice for unpaid carers has also been made available. In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement has issued guidance to the health service on the adjustments that are needed across the NHS Dementia Well Pathway.

Support for recovery and managing any ongoing symptoms is also available at the following link:

https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise the (a) further development and (b) deployment of a coronavirus risk calculator through the NHS App.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS COVID-19 App already includes several features that are designed to help identify and manage risk for individuals and communities.

For contact tracing, the app detects and logs other nearby app users using random unique identifiers. If any of those users later test positive for COVID-19, close contacts will receive an exposure alert with advice to self-isolate.

When a user first registers for the app they are asked for the first half of their postcode. They can check the app every day to see if where they live has become a high-risk area for COVID-19. If it has, they will also receive a notification. This will help them make daily decisions to protect themselves and those close to them.

The app was launched following positive trials and rigorous testing. It is accurate, responsive and has received positive feedback from users. We continue to work to optimise the app and will keep further improvements under review.

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 consistency of recommendations on visiting care homes in the Social Care Sector COVID-19 Support Taskforce: report on first phase of COVID-19 pandemic published on 18 September 2020 and the Adult social care: our COVID-19 winter plan 2020 to 2021.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Learning from the COVID-19 first wave is essential in building effective, ongoing contingency planning and resilience across the health and care system.

The Social Care COVID-19 Support Taskforce, set up and chaired by David Pearson (social care COVID-19 Lead for the National Health Service and past President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services), formed part of the Government’s overall commitment to the sector. The Taskforce concluded at the end of August, and their recommendations have shaped our approach to tackling COVID-19 in the adult social care sector and, in particular, the plans we have put in place for winter.

The Winter plan, was published on 18 September and builds on the work of the Taskforce and sets out the actions we will be taking at a national level; and the actions that every local area (local authorities and NHS partners) and every care provider must be taking. This has included considering the Taskforce recommendations in respect to visiting care homes and introducing a range of measures which will enable residents and their loved ones to have safe visits to care homes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of time was for Public Health England to respond to schools reporting positive covid-19 cases in each week since August 2020.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Public Health England does not collect the data in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 21 September 2020 to Questions 90109 and 90110 on Coronavirus: Congleton, when he plans to provide substantive answers to those questions.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We take parliamentary scrutiny incredibly seriously and it is fundamentally important that hon. Members are provided with accurate and timely information to enable them to hold Government to account. We are working rapidly to provide all hon. Members with accurate answers to their questions, as well as supporting the Government’s response to the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hon. Member’s questions will be answered as soon as possible.

Delighted that free PPE provision to health, social care and public sector workers has been extended until at least the end of June to support this critical stage for vaccination and mass testing programmes https://t.co/tsvEW5kipz - Tweet Link

Great virtual visit to @RJAH_NHS yesterday. Really good to meet new nurses at the Trust, including those who volunteered to join the workforce during the first wave and are up for redeployment to Covid wards now. Your hard work and dedication is inspiring #thankyouNHS https://t.co/cV9fpZfrnE - Tweet Link

Our NHS is under more pressure than ever before. This £7.5 million boost for e-rostering will help make the most of our healthcare professionals’ precious time and support #flexibleworking to give doctors & nurses a better work/life balance longer term https://t.co/asZIhfhwaw - Tweet Link

Thanks @trudibeswick, really good to join you this morning https://t.co/FAuUbYfp5U - Tweet Link

Thank you to @AlzResearchUK for the incredible work you're doing to find a cure for the diseases that cause #dementia. The #ThinkBrainHealth report is another step in helping all of us improve the health of our brains - something which is particularly important during lockdown https://t.co/1JuQzG2Ugm - Tweet Link

Great news, thank you to everyone involved 👏👏👏 https://t.co/Hy25i7ywuw - Tweet Link

NHS England prioritising care homes for vaccination by 24 January - helping to meet our commitment to offer vaccination to staff & residents in care homes by the end of this month #thankyouNHS #thankyouCARE https://t.co/UROFUTkdPw - Tweet Link

These are really important changes - giving people who experience a #mentalhealth crisis greater choice and control over their care and helping services better meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism https://t.co/50w0a3b93e - Tweet Link

@JBrokenshire Oh no, really sorry to see - get well soon! - Tweet Link

Our #COVID19 delivery plan builds on our work to rollout vaccines as quickly and effectively as possible. Over 2.3 million people have now been vaccinated, including almost 1/4 of older care home residents - every jab helping to defeat this cruel virus https://t.co/oFGGAIFJHF - Tweet Link

Thanks @GeorgeFreemanMP. Delighted to contribute to the book when I was @Conservatives Vice Chair for Women. More important than ever to use this moment to make life better for women across the country #britainbeyondbrexit https://t.co/uGEImAJvKD - Tweet Link

Great to see the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have been vaccinated. Every jab counts. https://t.co/87Gi2Py21t - Tweet Link

Fantastic job! 👏👏👏 https://t.co/SxE2dR8JbG - Tweet Link

I'll be joining people across the country to #clapforheroes at 8pm this evening to thank our carers, NHS staff, teachers, police, and everyone else helping to get us through these difficult times. You are helping to bring light to these dark days #thankyouCARE #thankyouNHS - Tweet Link

It's fantastic to see care home residents being vaccinated 💉💉💉 I know it’s the moment so many have waited for, and look forward to seeing more of this in the coming weeks 👇👇👇 https://t.co/f20xyQsmXk - Tweet Link

Great work, and good to hear PM confirm that 1.3 million people across the UK have already received their first #CovidVaccine jab https://t.co/HSnADOB4db - Tweet Link

I know many staff and residents in care homes enjoyed the @OutToPerform carol concert over Christmas It’s only available for a few more days so catch it while you can⬇️ https://t.co/ZGbmKfj52e - Tweet Link

We're a step closer to turning the tide on this cruel virus. Crucially, the @UniofOxford/@AstraZeneca #CovidVaccine is easier to get into care homes. We've asked GPs and local vaccination services to vaccinate all care home residents by the end of January https://t.co/GOS0JXq7aB - Tweet Link

Delighted that majority of MPs have backed the PM's #BrexitBill in Parliament today. The deal means we can start our new relationship with the EU as good friends and neighbours & seize new opportunities. It's time to put divisions behind us and look ahead to 2021 with confidence. - Tweet Link

Brilliant news, huge thank you to everyone involved. Rolling out the @UniofOxford/@AstraZeneca #CovidVaccine means we can vaccinate more people, faster - especially those in care homes. https://t.co/L806c57aAR - Tweet Link

Fantastic job! 👏👏👏 https://t.co/linr7Pgk75 - Tweet Link

Wishing all our fabulous NHS and social care staff a safe and peaceful Christmas. Thank you to everyone hard at work over the holidays caring for our loved ones - you are the best of us #thankyouNHS #thankyouCARE https://t.co/pcAs34Fny0 - Tweet Link

Great day. It’s time to come together, put divisions behind us, and begin a new chapter in our country’s history #BrexitDeal https://t.co/6zD8nowEpi - Tweet Link

Huge relief to see ferries leaving Dover. Thank you to @Kent_cc @HighwaysEngland @kent_police for helping to get Kent moving and @BritishArmy & NHS Test and Trace for massive testing effort. Thanks to @Port_of_Dover ferries will run on Christmas and Boxing Day to get drivers home - Tweet Link

This vaccine is the Christmas present I know so many people have been asking for. I’m delighted that many care staff and residents have already been able to receive their first jabs, including our veterans - the Chelsea pensioners who fought to protect us. https://t.co/bQRXFdrmIb - Tweet Link

We’re boosting testing in care homes supported by £149m new funding Care home staff will get 2 rapid tests a week on top of the weekly PCR test More testing asks a lot of care homes but we must do all we can to stop #covid especially this new strain https://t.co/d0cPodjd5m - Tweet Link

Fantastic to see the first #Covid_19 vaccinations taking place in Faversham this week. Huge thank you to @FMPNHS & @NewtonPlaceNHS for working so hard to get our local vaccination programme up and running by Christmas. https://t.co/zaUF81C2sW - Tweet Link

A choir led by the fab Lesley Garrett CBE @garrettsgossip from @wabbey will be streamed to care home staff & residents across the country. You can view the highlights below, with the full concert available to watch from 4pm on 23 December until 5 January. https://t.co/ZGbmKfj52e - Tweet Link

Thank you to the fantastic carers looking after our loved ones over the holidays. With support from @DHSCgovuk, @OutToPerform are helping to bring some Christmas cheer into care homes with a virtual carol concert recorded exclusively for staff and residents. - Tweet Link

Great to hear that registered nurse Martyn Davies is the first nurse in a #carehome setting to be recognised with a gold award at this year’s @CNOEngland Awards for his tireless and dedicated work for residents at @ManorUrmston residential care home. Read more here 🔽 https://t.co/vbF3MbD45f - Tweet Link

I've been in contact with the Roads Minister this morning about the situation in Kent. Important to stress that we are well prepared for disruption at the Channel Ports - Opp Stack is in place and Manston can accommodate up to 4,000 lorries. For more info https://t.co/vs5ih3TSQN - Tweet Link

Social care workers are among the first to receive the #COVID19 vaccine and it’s natural that staff may have questions. @25DavidPearson, @NikkiKF and Prof. Jonathan Van Tam help answer some of them in this video. Watch 👇 https://t.co/CZ9E47bIFF - Tweet Link

This pandemic has been tough on so many people, particularly those with learning disabilities. In a debate earlier this week I set out what we're doing to help people with disabilities live independent and fulfilled lives during this difficult time. https://t.co/zxGQP8j173 - Tweet Link

This autumn 29,740 students are starting nursing and midwifery degrees, a huge increase of 6,110 compared to last year. Thank you to everyone who has chosen to embark on a career in healthcare, helping to get towards 50,000 more nurses for our NHS. https://t.co/Aa84cLmitg https://t.co/SFCBNF7RM6 - Tweet Link

Responding to a debate on #Covid_19 yesterday I stressed that now more than ever we need to work together to tackle this virus and keep one another safe. The end is in sight but we need to stand firm. https://t.co/EQbeScLons - Tweet Link

Very sad news about Dame Barbara Windsor. An inspiration to many, not least in the way she bravely faced Alzheimer's in her final years. We're determined to overcome this cruel disease which causes heartache to so many families. https://t.co/Gsy30tYE60 - Tweet Link

Great to see! https://t.co/iwZHcC1rLr - Tweet Link

Care home workers can now get vaccinated for #COVID19 Don’t forget, you need two doses to be protected against the virus Find out about the roll-out at: https://t.co/8uSjvMGaCo https://t.co/Qm7c3Qs13n - Tweet Link

Great to catch up with @OSJCT's Beckside care home in Lincolnshire, where almost all of their staff have been vaccinated within 48 hours of the #COVID19 vaccine becoming available. Fantastic work! https://t.co/6rODjT6r2u - Tweet Link

Big welcome to Prof Deborah Sturdy, our first Chief Nurse for Social Care. I’m thrilled Deborah is taking on this important job to provide clinical leadership for social care and our fantastic care workers - working alongside @cnoengland https://t.co/EhcTpbTHND - Tweet Link

Fabulous @OSJCT care staff getting Covid-19 vaccinated today 👏👏👏 https://t.co/xo1WOMqC6W - Tweet Link

Great to see care workers getting their #COVID19 vaccinations today. Putting into practice #JCVI’s recommendation - carers are a priority! Thanks @oonagolds Lesley and colleagues and @vicrayner for sharing these pics to inspire others to follow your example. https://t.co/UQfSe7zyvA - Tweet Link

Great day. So many people to thank, not least our fantastic NHS workforce who are making the vaccine rollout possible. They have stepped up to help at this vital moment, as they have done throughout the pandemic. #thankyouNHS #VDay https://t.co/IxjUPISgoP - Tweet Link

Great to catch up with some of our fab local businesses in Faversham this morning on #SmallBizSatUK - from butchers to yarn dispensers! Local shops and traders are the beating heart of our communities. It's more important than ever to #shoplocal https://t.co/fUQVqK7DB4 - Tweet Link

I've written to care homes & local authorities in England ahead of the #vaccine rollout. Care home staff will be vaccinated right at the start of the programme and we will move whatever mountains are necessary to vaccinate residents as soon as possible. https://t.co/SYsidp9OJI - Tweet Link

Thanks to @RoyalMail we've delivered over half a billion items of PPE to social care and primary care providers through our PPE Portal! A huge thank you to everyone involved in this enormous logistical challenge https://t.co/LbWrzFIiRy https://t.co/H38ZPavYt4 - Tweet Link

Thank you to @Derbyshirecc for my virtual visit yesterday. Great to hear how staff at Parkwood Day Centre have gone above and beyond to provide #daycare services throughout these difficult times, providing vital support & care to individuals and families with additional needs. https://t.co/azvNNstCxO - Tweet Link

I know this year has been incredibly difficult for disabled people in particular. I’m pleased that on the International Day of People with Disabilities, we’re providing this additional funding to help more people live healthy, independent lives #IDPD https://t.co/iCuk2WBLQt - Tweet Link

Writing in @DailyMailUK today on the rollout of visitor testing in care homes. Thanks to the Daily Mail and all its readers for their campaign to make safe visits possible and for so powerfully telling the stories of those affected by #Covid restrictions. https://t.co/5wTU0rqVo8 - Tweet Link

Covid-19 vaccine approved for use by MHRA. Huge news. https://t.co/xlMwge1M2L - Tweet Link

This is what care home visitor testing looks like in practice...and the video says better than any words what it means ⬇️ https://t.co/Hsz6r6qRTk - Tweet Link

Update on visitor testing: distribution of rapid tests to all registered care homes is in progress, and new guidance on safe visiting is now out⬇️ We want to reunite loved ones but please be sure to make it #Covid safe https://t.co/V3WaF4vkCt - Tweet Link

Hospices have been completely brilliant during the pandemic, going above and beyond the amazing work they usually do. Fantastic to see so many messages of support for the new funding of up to £125m for hospices in our #Covid Winter Plan. I know how important this is @hospiceuk https://t.co/WQYAHsAz7A - Tweet Link

Congratulations @nadhimzahawi on joining @DHSC to take on the herculean job of getting vaccine out across the country as soon as we get the green light. Looking forward to working together to get it to #social care, to our #NHS workforce and to those most at risk from #COVID19 - Tweet Link

Really informative report from @CareQualityComm - it highlights what so many #carehomes have been doing to look after people during #Covid & some examples that others can learn from. Read the full report here: https://t.co/5i7tORThHl https://t.co/fAC8T2EzyO - Tweet Link

Wonderful to speak to family and carers @HC_One taking part in our visitor testing trial & hear the joy of being able to hold hands and hug again. I’m determined to roll out testing to homes across the country next month to reunite more family and friends https://t.co/tZfT99y7Gn https://t.co/NrUe7U66NN - Tweet Link

Fantastic to see today’s NHS workforce stats showing we have record numbers of doctors and over 14,800 more nurses working in our NHS compared to last year - thanks to all our NHS staff for your continued hard work. https://t.co/7ghoCMFZcy - Tweet Link

Good news for the NHS today in the #SpendingReview – £6.6 billion extra to tackle Covid, catch up delayed care & deliver 50,000 more nurses AND really important extra £1 billion for social care. That’s for the coming year, before we bring forward our plan for social care reform https://t.co/cX5hwCXXRb - Tweet Link

So true! Thank you @Baronessjenkin and @Women2Win ... you have inspired and supported so many women to do things they didn’t know they could. #AskHerToStand https://t.co/AMN0o6dykw - Tweet Link

We’re expanding our research into immune response to COVID-19. 14,000 #carehome residents & staff will be tested quarterly in our Vivaldi 2 study. With the support of @UCL_IHI we will keep on improving our understanding of #COVID19 https://t.co/8l5gDxxC4p https://t.co/4CIGc8RKKb - Tweet Link

Exciting results from the team at @UniofOxford and @AstraZeneca on their Covid vaccine - if authorised by @MHRAgovuk, it will soon be rolled out across the UK, starting with care home staff and residents https://t.co/iKQ48iQ2XG - Tweet Link

Thanks to our growing testing capacity, #homecare providers can sign up to get weekly testing for their care staff to protect them and the people they care for. Tests can be ordered from the portal here: https://t.co/EvSaBXJxoZ - Tweet Link

Next week we’re launching regular #COVID19 testing for #homecare workers. Find out more here ⬇️ https://t.co/r56miSPalv https://t.co/yLK9AFY223 - Tweet Link

We want to do everything possible to keep people in #carehomes safe. That's why we're consulting on plans to turn the commitment in our Winter Plan on limiting staff movement between homes into law Have your say on the plans below ⬇️ https://t.co/uFx6B5fiO7 - Tweet Link

As Christmas approaches, I’m determined to reunite family & friends with loved ones in #carehomes. But we must not forget how cruel Covid is to those in care homes. The visitor testing trial will help us get this right so we can offer visitor tests across the country in December https://t.co/aL8r2Bl6mt - Tweet Link

Glad to get our trial for regular testing of care home visitors launched today. As @MattHancock said our goal is to have visitor testing available to every care home by Christmas so that people can take a test and see their loved ones more safely - Tweet Link

I know just how much people want to see - and hug - loved ones in care homes. Our trial of regular testing for visitors, starting Monday, is a crucial step to make it safer for friends & family to visit. Thank you to everyone who’s working so hard on this. https://t.co/zNliJjFk7x - Tweet Link

@kt2690 @DementiaFriends Thank you v kind offer...I am already a @DementiaFriends, I did a brilliant session in my constituency where my badge is - you’re right, I must bring it in and wear it alongside my #CARE badge. - Tweet Link

#WeWillRememberThem https://t.co/Sx8vP8orOZ - Tweet Link

@tracey_crouch @paulasherriff You are both amazing. Sending big virtual hugs xx - Tweet Link

Not only is the prospect of a vaccine lifting my spirits today but on top of that #JCVI have proposed care home residents & staff should be top of the list for getting it. There’s still a way to go & we can’t let our guard down but things are looking up https://t.co/GEjRQazdBD - Tweet Link

Congratulations President Elect @JoeBiden and - wow, what a moment - huge congratulations to @KamalaHarris , making history as the first woman to be elected US Vice President #USElection - Tweet Link

@Jennife45926217 @Brendoncare @rightsforresid2 @allisonpearson Good to see this letter. Hampshire is one of the four areas for our trial of care home visitor testing. - Tweet Link

I want to help care home residents stay in touch with loved ones - even now when we all have to stay at home. Read my article in @Daily_Express here...https://t.co/lbmXRDzgMo - Tweet Link

As we all play our part to bring down Covid rates I’ll keep working on ways to help people see loved ones in care homes. We’re going to trial testing for regular visitors this month. It’s not enough to protect life, we need to make life worth living (3/3) - Tweet Link

Unlike earlier this year, we’re not stopping visits: the new guidance supports care homes to do covid-secure visits. We know sadly this doesn’t work for everyone, but the consequences for residents & care staff of catching Covid are serious and tragically too often fatal (2/3) - Tweet Link

I know how hard visiting restrictions in care homes have been - in fact not just hard but heart-breaking. That’s why we have set out new guidance on visiting in care homes to help people stay in contact with loved ones as we go through this second national lockdown (1/3) - Tweet Link

Thanks to @valeriemanor #carehome for my virtual visit today. Really good to hear how they have been providing outstanding care through these difficult times & their close working relationship with the local pharmacy. Thank you #careheroes https://t.co/PCVytfnA6W - Tweet Link

@Aleexxies I’m shocked and sorry to hear about this @Aleexxies. Racism has no place in our health service. I’m glad you were supported by colleagues who rightly took a zero tolerance approach. We do not accept it - we will not ignore it - we will not stand for it. - Tweet Link

Good to speak to staff @STSFTrust & hear how you have gone above & beyond to care for patients and support colleagues. Our conversation was a reminder of how it’s vital everyone plays their part following #Covid rules & guidance - to keep staff safe & our NHS open for business https://t.co/jnccEQSyk1 - Tweet Link

@YasminQureshiMP So sorry to hear you’re in hospital. Get well soon Yasmin! - Tweet Link

To receive the latest #Coronavirus advice and guidance for the #SocialCare sector, sign up for our newsletter here ⬇ https://t.co/wd4AhxxvDK - Tweet Link

In @DHSCgovuk’s latest #Coronavirus #SocialCare update, I explain how the new position of Chief Nurse for Social Care will champion our fantastic frontline workers and give social care extra support and leadership this winter ⬇ https://t.co/JJwkve7lUW - Tweet Link

Really good to virtually meet with Mental Health Social Workers from across the country ahead of #WorldMentalHealthDay to hear how they are supporting adults in #SocialCare during #COVID19. Thanks to you and your teams for all your vital work. https://t.co/dqpRa3x6gK - Tweet Link

We’ve created the new post of Chief Nurse for Social Care and @DHSCgovuk is recruiting. It’s a vital role to support #socialcare and our fantastic #careworkers. Find out more here and spread the word https://t.co/B8grOoqIOa - Tweet Link

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The responsible authorities must examine the terms of licence agreements issued to consumers, as standard, by trade members of the NCC and BH&HPA to establish if the terms and practices are unfair for the purposes of the CRA 2015 and if the business practices breach the Unfair Trading Regs 2008

Today I raised a question to Helen Whately, the Minister of State for Social Care about how the schools in our area can get back on with teaching through the use of rapid testing. https://t.co/LGdQo6Xxq8 - Tweet Link

Just come off call with Health Minister Helen Whately. NE goes into tier 3 from 2 despite there being a 12% drop in case in NE &amp; 22% drop in North of region last week.Restriction likely to be in place till Jan &amp; no new money to support business. Shambolic! - Tweet Link

Clearly the Junior Health Minister, Helen Whately’s claim to be “listening” to MPs this morning hasn’t been relayed to her boss. Let’s be clear to Hancock: Labour and Tory MPs spoke with one voice, just as Labour and Tory Council Leaders and a Labour Mayor all are. https://t.co/U0C4ZKU4Y2 - Tweet Link