Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans the NHS has put in place to manage a potential shortage in the supply of medical radionuclides to prevent delays to (a) cancer, (b) cardiac and (c) other procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment. The Department regularly engages with suppliers, specialist clinicians, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the UK Radiopharmacy Group to support the continued supply of medical radioisotopes for National Health Services. There are six trusted research reactors which play a critical role in global radiopharmaceutical production, none of which are in the United Kingdom. The Department continues to work with the NHS and other parts of the Government, and the devolved administrations, to better understand future needs for medical radioisotopes.
From an NHS perspective, as part of making available new treatments and interventions, consideration is given to a range of factors, including demand and supply. The NHS has got processes in place to escalate and manage business continuity, including medicines supply.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) supply of medical radionuclides for NHS use in the next (i) 5, (ii) 10, (iii) 15 and (iv) 20 years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment. The Department regularly engages with suppliers, specialist clinicians, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the UK Radiopharmacy Group to support the continued supply of medical radioisotopes for National Health Services. There are six trusted research reactors which play a critical role in global radiopharmaceutical production, none of which are in the United Kingdom. The Department continues to work with the NHS and other parts of the Government, and the devolved administrations, to better understand future needs for medical radioisotopes.
From an NHS perspective, as part of making available new treatments and interventions, consideration is given to a range of factors, including demand and supply. The NHS has got processes in place to escalate and manage business continuity, including medicines supply.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the devolved Administrations on the (a) need and (b) potential ability for the UK to create radionuclides for use in healthcare.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment. The Department regularly engages with suppliers, specialist clinicians, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the UK Radiopharmacy Group to support the continued supply of medical radioisotopes for National Health Services. There are six trusted research reactors which play a critical role in global radiopharmaceutical production, none of which are in the United Kingdom. The Department continues to work with the NHS and other parts of the Government, and the devolved administrations, to better understand future needs for medical radioisotopes.
From an NHS perspective, as part of making available new treatments and interventions, consideration is given to a range of factors, including demand and supply. The NHS has got processes in place to escalate and manage business continuity, including medicines supply.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 trends in the level of demand for medical radionuclides in the NHS in the next (a) 5, (b) 10, (c) 15 and (d) 20 years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment. The Department regularly engages with suppliers, specialist clinicians, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the UK Radiopharmacy Group to support the continued supply of medical radioisotopes for National Health Services. There are six trusted research reactors which play a critical role in global radiopharmaceutical production, none of which are in the United Kingdom. The Department continues to work with the NHS and other parts of the Government, and the devolved administrations, to better understand future needs for medical radioisotopes.
From an NHS perspective, as part of making available new treatments and interventions, consideration is given to a range of factors, including demand and supply. The NHS has got processes in place to escalate and manage business continuity, including medicines supply.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent inquiry into the death of Robbie Powell in 1990.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government offers its deepest sympathy to the parents of Robbie Powell for the tragic loss of their son in 1990.
Robbie Powell’s death has been the subject of a number of investigative and judicial processes over the last 30 years. The intense scrutiny of Robbie’s case, provided through these reviews, suggests that it is unlikely that a further inquiry would reveal anything which has not been uncovered already, or would identify further significant lessons to be learned.
Even though the events occurred prior to the devolution of the National Health Service, this should not prevent the National Assembly for Wales from considering this case.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether laundry workers are eligible for the autumn Covid booster programme.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease (hospitalisation and death) arising from COVID-19. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended a targeted approach focussed on those most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 including older individuals and individuals with specified existing clinical conditions.
On 8 August 2023, the Government accepted advice from the JCVI on who should be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in the autumn 2023 booster programme. This includes residents and staff in a care home for older adults, all adults aged 65 years old and over, persons aged six months to 64 years old in a clinical risk group, frontline health and social care workers, persons aged 12 to 64 years old who are household contacts and persons aged 16 to 64 years old who are carers.
Laundry workers are not, as a group, eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in autumn. However, if an individual is a laundry worker in a care home for older adults, a frontline health and social care worker or meets any of the other criteria for eligibility set out above, they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. The objective of immunisation of frontline health and social care workers and staff working in care homes for older adults is to protect those workers at high risk of exposure who may also expose vulnerable individuals whilst providing care.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 adequacy of levels of funding available for research into (a) cures, (b) treatments and (c) diagnostic equipment for cancer; and what steps he is taking to increase research funding for those purposes.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No such assessment has been made. The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). However, the NIHR does not categorise research in the format requested. Additionally, not all studies focus on a specific condition and aim to prevent or improve outcomes for multiple conditions.
The NIHR’s expenditure on cancer research has increased from £101 million in 2010/11 to £138 million in 2019/20 and the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cancer.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people applying for the UK's Global Health Insurance Card are able to complete the application form in Welsh.
Answered by Edward Argar
An applicant cannot apply for the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) in Welsh. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), who are responsible for issuing the cards, are only able to accept applications in English. If a Welsh speaking customer wishes to contact the NHSBSA in relation to an EHIC or GHIC application a translation service is available.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Global Health Insurance Card is available in English and Welsh.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is available in English and Welsh. Cardholders applying in Wales automatically receive the Welsh version of the GHIC card and accompanying letter which has a separate English translation.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 number of veterans that have received mental health support in each of the last five years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Veterans in England can access mental health support through Operation Courage Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), the veteran’s specialist mental health service and the NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. The data for veterans accessing TILS and IAPT in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
Financial year | Number of TILS assessments | Total number in receipt of TILS/ IAPT treatment |
2017/2018 | 1,649 | 17,271 |
2018/2019 | 2,120 | 18,033 |
2019/2020 | 2,569 | 18,375 |
2020/2021 | 2,391 | 10,793 |
April to August 2021 | 1,052 | 4,294 |
It should be noted that IAPT data reports veterans who received treatment and declared their veteran status.