Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department will take to reduce the (a) length of time taken for the Continuing Health Care eligibility appeals process and (b) effect of that process on individuals and families going through it.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to review the effectiveness of the Decision Support Tool (DST). The DST was originally developed in 2007 and has been reviewed periodically since then, with the most recent iteration being published in 2018.
The National Framework for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and NHS Funded Nursing Care (the Framework) encourages eligibility appeals to be processed in a timely manner. It also lays out the expectation for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to engage in a person-centred approach, ensuring the individual, and/or their representative, is fully aware of, and involved in, the processes. Upon completion of the assessment, a clear explanation of how the decision of eligibility was reached should be provided, as well as an explanation of the appeals process.
There are Assurance Standards in place, which allow NHS England to monitor the performance of CCGs on the delivery of CHC assessments. The Framework sets out that CHC assessments must be undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to (a0 monitor the delivery of Continuing Health Care (CHC) assessments and (b) ensure that CHC assessments are carried out by an appropriately constituted multi-disciplinary team with adequate knowledge of the condition to make an informed decision.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to review the effectiveness of the Decision Support Tool (DST). The DST was originally developed in 2007 and has been reviewed periodically since then, with the most recent iteration being published in 2018.
The National Framework for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and NHS Funded Nursing Care (the Framework) encourages eligibility appeals to be processed in a timely manner. It also lays out the expectation for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to engage in a person-centred approach, ensuring the individual, and/or their representative, is fully aware of, and involved in, the processes. Upon completion of the assessment, a clear explanation of how the decision of eligibility was reached should be provided, as well as an explanation of the appeals process.
There are Assurance Standards in place, which allow NHS England to monitor the performance of CCGs on the delivery of CHC assessments. The Framework sets out that CHC assessments must be undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 effect on patients of the time limitations for bringing a claim against a manufacturer of (a) mesh, (b) essure sterilisation and (c) breast implants.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Department has made no direct assessment.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 modify the NHS covid-19 app to ensure that the app is compatible with phone handsets that are unable to run the iOS 13.5 software.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Test and Trace app requires users to be owners of smartphones that are able to use Apple iOS 13.5 and above and Android Marshmallow and above. This is because the app needs the Exposure Notification framework developed by Apple and Google, which is only available in these versions.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, what proportion of patients identified to have suffered the effects of the prescribed drug promodos reported that their medical records between the years 1958 and 1978 have gone missing, what assessment he has made of the difficulties presented to patients as a result of those missing records; and what investigations his Department has undertaken in respect of those missing records.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Department is aware that some patients who took Primodos between the years of 1958 and 1978 have stated that their medical records are incomplete or missing. However, the Department does not hold data on what proportion of patients who allege they have suffered adverse effects as a result of taking of the prescribed drug Primodos have missing medical records. It should be noted that medical records are generally held by general practitioners and not centrally by the Department. The Department has made no assessment or investigation into the reports that patient medical records from the period between 1958 and 1978 are missing.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 6 August 2020 to Question 78605, whether the weekly covid-19 testing of care home staff and testing of residents every 28 days in all care homes without outbreaks through Pillar 2 referred to in that Answer commenced from 6 July 2020 onwards; and whether the supply of covid-19 tests is adequate to meet demand.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We started rolling out regular retesting for residents and staff of care homes for over 65s and dementia from 6 July. We provided testing kits to all care homes for older people and people with dementia who have registered for regular retesting kits by 7 September.
All remaining adult care homes were able to apply for regular retesting from 31 August.
We are meeting demand and issuing more than 100,000 tests a day to care homes across the country.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, what proportion of patients identified to have suffered the effects of the prescribed drug sodium valporate reported that their medical records between the years 1958 and 1978 have gone missing, what assessment he has made of the difficulties presented to patients as a result of those missing records; and what investigations his Department has undertaken in respect of those missing records.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Department does not hold data on the proportion of patients identified to have suffered the effects of sodium valproate who reported their medical records missing between the years of 1958 and 1978. There has been no assessment or investigation into this issue.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which categories of health and social care providers are eligible for antibody testing for covid-19.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has made antibody tests available to all its staff including those working on National Health Service premises but not directly employed by the NHS, and those in primary, community, and mental health care including community pharmacists. Further information is available at the following link:
Antibody testing is also being made available for all paid social care staff in England.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 allow family members to visit relatives in residential care homes; on what date will those visits be allowed to resume; and if he will publish updated guidance to support those visits.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 22 July 2020 the Government published updated guidance on visiting arrangements for care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus
Our priority has been to enable residents to be reunited safely with their loved ones. This guidance will be updated as the risk posed by COVID-19 continues to change.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 (a) improve the supply of testing kits to care homes, (b) put in place a system which allows for testing kits to routinely and automatically be provided to care homes at regular intervals; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current application process for covid-19 tests for a care home.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has rolled out whole home testing to all care homes registered on the portal. Since its launch we have been able to provide whole home testing to over 13,500 care homes in England.
On routine testing, we have launched this in care homes from 3 July. From 6 July onwards, we will start to roll out weekly testing of staff and testing of residents every 28 days in all care homes without outbreaks through Pillar 2. Bank, agency and visiting staff such as social workers and Allied Health Professionals working in care homes should be included in the weekly staff tests in care homes.