Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter dated 9 February 2022 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire regarding hospital visiting restrictions, reference ZA58887.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter dated 18 February 2022 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire regarding access to A&E services, reference ZA58950.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter dated 3 March 2022 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire, reference ZA59077, regarding mental health care provision.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 26 April 2022.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who leads the enhanced protection programme; and what the process is for designating charities and patient organisations as stakeholders for that programme.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, Dame Jenny Harries, is the Senior Responsible Owner for the COVID-19 enhanced protection programme (EPP). The EPP is a tripartite scheme run by the Department, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency.
Ministers and officials regularly engage with charities and organisations representing those who are immunocompromised and immunosuppressed. There is no formal process for designating patient organisations as stakeholders for the programme.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 total number of people in the UK who (a) are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed and (b) were formerly identified as clinically extremely vulnerable in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Those whose immune systems mean they continue to be at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 may be eligible for therapies in the community, including antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, which can reduce the risk of becoming hospitalised. In England, more than 1.3 million people are eligible for monoclonal antibody treatment and antivirals.
The national shielding support programme closed at the end of September 2021. Data held by NHS Digital showed that 3,694,273 individuals were registered for care in England and previously considered as clinically extremely vulnerable or at ‘high risk’ of complications from COVID-19.
The information requested elsewhere in the United Kingdom is not held, as it is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 providing financial support for severely immunocompromised people who need to continue shielding and cannot safely return to the workplace.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There have been no specific discussions. The national shielding programme closed on the 15 September 2021. On 4 April 2022, updated guidance was issued for those whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing financial support for severely immunocompromised people who need to continue shielding and are unable to return safely to the workplace.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There have been no specific discussions. The national shielding programme closed on the 15 September 2021. On 4 April 2022, updated guidance was issued for those whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter dated 18 February 2022 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire, reference ZA58962 regarding access to dental treatment.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 22 April 2022.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to issue guidance to the public on the steps they should take to help protect people who are at high risk of severe illness from covid-19, including wearing face masks in essential service settings and crowded areas, keeping spaces ventilated and self-isolating when infected.
Answered by Maggie Throup
On 23 February 2022, the Government published ‘COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19’, which offers advice on safer behaviours to reduce the risk of infection. This includes advice on the wearing of face coverings in crowded and enclosed areas, letting fresh air in if meeting indoors and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people on testing positive for COVID-19. The guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 potential merits of launching a public awareness campaign on the ongoing risk of covid-19 for severely immunocompromised people after 1 April 2022; and if he will provide details of the steps people can take to ensure that severely immunocompromised people continue to be protected from that disease.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No specific assessment has been made. However, on 25 February 2022, updated public health advice was issued for those who were previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable, which is available at the following link:
On 4 April, updated guidance was published for those whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness if they become infected with COVID-19, which is available at the following link:
‘COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19’, published in February, offers advice on safer behaviours to reduce the risk of infection, which is available at the following link: