Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on stockpiling (a) Oseltamivir (tamiflu), (b) Zanamivir (Relenza) and (c) other antiviral drugs in each year since 2014.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The following table shows the total spend from 2013/14 to 2020/21 in England for the replenishment of oseltamivir and zanamivir antivirals for the pandemic influenza preparedness stockpile. The United Kingdom’s stockpiles have not included any other antivirals for influenza.
Year | £ million (including VAT) |
2013/14 | 49.0 |
2014/15 | 0.0 |
2015/16 | 1.4 |
2016/17 | 55.9 |
2018/19 | 46.0 |
2019/20 | 104.8 |
2020/21 | 50.4 |
Stockpile volumes of oseltamivir and zanamivir are held to treat 50% of the population, based on a reasonable worst-case scenario. The stockpiles have been maintained since the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Year-to-year variation in stockpile spending is due to variation in cost of replenishing and maintaining the stockpile at these levels. The devolved administrations are responsible for their respective antiviral stockpiles
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce reporting requirements for providers and commissioners of heart failure services on (a) referrals for suspected heart failure, (b) urgent referrals for suspected heart failure, (c) specialist appointments held within six weeks of referral for suspected heart failure and (d) specialist appointments held within two weeks of urgent referral for suspected heart failure.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has not made a formal assessment. The reporting requirements for National Health Service commissioners and providers are based on a balanced assessment, to collect timely and clinically valuable data. There are currently no plans to introduce new reporting requirements. When considering future changes to reporting requirements for commissioners and providers of heart failure services, NHS England and NHS Improvement will take account of the views of clinicians, patients and stakeholder organisations.
NHS England’s Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) includes data on heart failure collected in primary care and community care services. In April 2020, the QOF was updated to support earlier diagnosis and management. General practitioner surgeries are asked to collect data to show they have fulfilled their QOF requirements. This update also means that patients with heart failure can expect to have an annual review.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
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 potential merits of introducing reporting requirements for providers and commissioners of heart failure services on (a) referrals for suspected heart failure, (b) urgent referrals for suspected heart failure, (c) specialist appointments held within six weeks of referral for suspected heart failure and (d) specialist appointments held within two weeks of urgent referral for suspected heart failure.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has not made a formal assessment. The reporting requirements for National Health Service commissioners and providers are based on a balanced assessment, to collect timely and clinically valuable data. There are currently no plans to introduce new reporting requirements. When considering future changes to reporting requirements for commissioners and providers of heart failure services, NHS England and NHS Improvement will take account of the views of clinicians, patients and stakeholder organisations.
NHS England’s Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) includes data on heart failure collected in primary care and community care services. In April 2020, the QOF was updated to support earlier diagnosis and management. General practitioner surgeries are asked to collect data to show they have fulfilled their QOF requirements. This update also means that patients with heart failure can expect to have an annual review.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the ratio of consultants to civil servants was in NHS Test and Trace on 1 September 2021.
Answered by Maggie Throup
As of 1 September 2021, the ratio of management consultants to civil servants in NHS Test and Trace was 1:1.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when publication of NHS statistics on Delayed Transfers of Care will resume.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The decision on reinstating the delayed transfer of care data collection is being reviewed by the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the NHS Test and Trace workforce was made up of consultants on 1 September 2021.
Answered by Maggie Throup
As of 1 September 2021, the proportion of management consultants in the NHS Test and Trace workforce was 34%.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department takes to ensure that all branches of Government bound by article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are aware of their resulting obligations.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We expect all departments to comply with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat’s guidance on Article 5.3 and we regularly provide guidance and assistance across Government.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
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 of Philip Morris International’s takeover of Vectura on the implementation of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in particular article 5.3.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The proposed transaction is primarily a commercial matter for the parties concerned although officials will continue to monitor the situation. The United Kingdom is a signatory to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will continue to uphold our duties in protecting public health policy in accordance with the treaty.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of (a) ambulance use and (b) presentations at A and E by patients suffering with symptoms of dementia each month in (i) 2018-19, (ii) 2019-20 and (iii) 2020-21.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No such estimate has been made.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
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 against the Government's commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In October 2020, we announced details of 40 schemes supported by an initial £3.7 billion for the first four years of the 10-year programme. This confirmed 32 schemes and an open process to determine a further eight new hospitals was launched in July. In addition, eight previously announced schemes have also been brought into the programme, which will result in 48 hospitals by 2030. At present, six of the 48 hospitals are now in construction, with one now completed.