Oral Answers to Questions

Nadine Dorries Excerpts
Tuesday 1st September 2020

(3 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Daniel Zeichner Portrait Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)
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What recent assessment he has made of the availability of covid-19 testing for GPs required to attend care homes.

Nadine Dorries Portrait The Minister for Patient Safety, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (Ms Nadine Dorries)
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GPs with symptoms can be tested through the self-referral portal. In addition, we are launching pilots in Northamptonshire, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire to provide regular covid-19 testing for professionals who visit care homes regularly and provide services within 1 metre of residents.

Daniel Zeichner Portrait Daniel Zeichner
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That is all in the future, of course. I was talking to GPs in Cambridge last week, and they told me about the difficulty they have with getting tested before going into care homes. Indeed, one of them told me she had to pretend to be a care worker to get a test. That cannot be right after all this time, can it?

Nadine Dorries Portrait Ms Dorries
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As I said, the pilots are now being launched in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire to provide regular covid-19 testing for professionals, and I think that problem has probably been resolved.

Yasmin Qureshi Portrait Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East) (Lab)
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What steps he is taking to implement the recommendations in the July 2020 Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review report.

Yasmin Qureshi Portrait Yasmin Qureshi [V]
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The Minister is aware that the Cumberlege review has clearly set out Government failure, with Primodos not being withdrawn and thousands of babies being born with severe deformities. Does she think it is acceptable to cite legal action, which has no bearing on the report’s findings, to continue to delay justice for the families? Will she meet me and the all-party parliamentary group to discuss a road map to implement the recommendations for all the three causes without further delay?

Nadine Dorries Portrait The Minister for Patient Safety, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (Ms Nadine Dorries)
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We welcomed the Cumberlege report and we are looking into the recommendations made, but the hon. Lady knows that, as a result of live litigation, I am not able to comment further.

Bambos Charalambous Portrait Bambos Charalambous (Enfield, Southgate) (Lab)
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What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government guidance for people unable to wear face coverings due to medical or other reasons.