Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Do not reform the Human Rights Act
Gov Responded - 17 Mar 2022 Debated on - 24 Oct 2022 View Yvonne Fovargue's petition debate contributionsThe proposed Human Rights Act reforms must be withdrawn. The Government must not make any changes to the Human Rights Act, especially ones that dilute people's human rights in any circumstances, make the Government less accountable, or reduce people's ability to make human rights claims.
Hold a public inquiry into Government contracts granted during Covid-19
Gov Responded - 5 Jan 2021 Debated on - 21 Jun 2021 View Yvonne Fovargue's petition debate contributionsThere should be a public inquiry into Government contracts granted during Covid-19. Many contracts have been granted without full and open procurement processes. A public inquiry would be able to ascertain whether contracts had been procured fairly and represent value for money for tax payers.
Allow international travel to visit partners and family
Gov Responded - 20 Apr 2021 Debated on - 24 May 2021 View Yvonne Fovargue's petition debate contributionsThe Government should class in-person interaction with family members and unmarried partners abroad as an essential reason to travel.
These initiatives were driven by Yvonne Fovargue, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Yvonne Fovargue has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Yvonne Fovargue has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to require retailers to register white goods at the point of sale to facilitate product recall; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about the use of bailiffs and other enforcement agents by local authorities to collect council tax arrears; to establish a code of practice for enforcement agents; to create an independent bailiffs ombudsman to administer the code and to investigate and adjudicate complaints; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require credit card companies to discharge a debt when three times the equivalent of the principal sum owed has been paid in interest; and for connected purposes
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require fee charging debt management companies to inform potential clients of the availability of free advice on debt management; and for connected purposes
Quad Bikes Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Judith Cummins (Lab)
Goods and Services of UK Origin Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Gareth Thomas (LAB)
Disabled Facilities Grants (Review) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Liz Twist (Lab)
Unauthorised Overdrafts (Cost of Credit) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Rachel Reeves (Lab)
The call for evidence on the review of the personal insolvency closed on 23 October 2022. The Government is currently analysing the significant number of responses and feedback received and will publish its response in due course.
The number of people entering a formal personal insolvency solution since the commencement of the personal insolvency review at the beginning of July 2022 until 28 February 2023 was 74,124.
The Insolvency Service publishes official statistics each month on the number of people entering a personal insolvency solution. The latest insolvency statistics can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-insolvency-statistics-february-2023.
We have no plans to make an assessment of the impact on insomnia on UK productivity.
The offering of exclusive tariffs by price comparison companies enables them to exert competitive pressure on suppliers to offer consumers better energy deals. The ability to offer exclusive tariffs and the removal of the requirement to show whole of the market tariffs by price comparison companies followed the Competition Markets Authority’s recommendation in its market study of digital comparison tools in 2017. Consumers can access the exclusive tariffs via the price comparison companies’ websites or telephone comparison service.
The Government is tackling the loyalty penalty experienced by households who do not shop around for their energy supply, which the Competition and Markets Authority has estimated, creates a £1.4bn average annual detriment to those consumers. We legislated for a price cap in 2018, which saves households £75-£100 a year on average. Ofgem, the sector regulator, is working to make it easier and quicker for households to switch energy deal. As set out in our Energy White Paper, the Government will introduce an opt-in switching scheme and trial out-out switching to help more households get a better deal on their energy.
The Government has extended the Energy Company Obligation to 2026 and expanded the Warm Home Discount to £475 million per year from 2022 to 2025/2026. This will see targeted support continue to be provided to low-income and vulnerable households to install energy saving measures and heat their homes over the winter months, while making savings on their energy bills through having better insulated homes. The future Home Upgrade Grant scheme, due to commence in 2022, will support low-income households with upgrades to the worst-performing homes off the gas grid in England. These upgrades will create warmer homes at lower cost and support low-income families with the switch to low-carbon heating. This increased energy efficiency is complemented by the Government’s rollout of over 26 million smart meters, which help consumers see how much energy they are using in near real-time and make sure they are ready to take advantage of the next wave of flexible, low-carbon technologies and energy tariffs.
This Government is committed to getting the transition to net zero right for all consumers, including those in vulnerable circumstances, and will shortly publish a call for evidence to begin an ongoing strategic dialogue between consumers, industry and the Government on affordability in the energy system.
As a Competent Authority, the energy regulator Ofgem, has an obligation to ensure Alternative Dispute Resolution is provided in the energy sector under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015.
Ofgem has appointed Ombudsman Services: Energy as the redress provider in the energy sector and has set out the types of dispute that Ombudsman Services: Energy can resolve, including issues relating to billing, sales, switching, supply, micro-generation and Feed in Tariffs.
Consumer protection continues to be a central part of policy considerations in relation to new energy markets, for example we have recently consulted on extending access to redress to heat network customers.
Manufacturers are required to ensure the safety of their products under reasonably foreseeable use, and to issue instructions for safe use.
The Government is considering the requirements for electric scooters as part of its Future of Transport Regulatory Review. Following this review any necessary public awareness information or guidance will be issued.
Security requirements to be set out using the powers in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will have to be complied with relation to all relevant consumer connectable products sold to customers in the UK, including those sold on online marketplaces.
The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill includes provisions that allow the Secretary of State to issue recall notices relating to relevant insecure consumer connected products, if deemed appropriate.
The government is deeply concerned about the scale and growth of online fraud.
We have consulted widely on our world-leading online harms proposals. Further details about the new regulatory framework will be included in the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation, which will be published this year.
Defra has a legal duty to undertake a comprehensive review of the F-gas Regulation. As part of this work, Defra will identify additional action that can be taken with regard to F-gases and their contribution to net zero. At COP26, Defra committed to an accelerated hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown. Defra intends to publish an assessment report by the end of 2022 as the first stage of the review. It will focus mainly on analysing the effects of the current Regulation, together with the current state of play in relevant industry sectors and international commitments. The second stage of the review will involve a public consultation on proposals for any legislative changes.
The F-gas Regulation currently includes an exemption from the HFC phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The continuation or removal of the exemption for MDIs will be considered as part of the policy development and analysis into future options, as well as implications of the HFC phasedown on MDIs. To support this work there is ongoing engagement between Defra, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Defra is reviewing the F-gas Regulation, which includes an exemption from the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The review will consider the implementation of the current F-gas Regulation and options for future policy development. The implications of removing the exemption for MDIs, including the potential impact of this on cost and supply, will be included in the analysis.
NHS England is in the process of reducing the use of MDIs containing high global warming potential propellants and has produced cost estimates for the switch from MDIs to currently readily available alternatives. These cost estimates will be incorporated in Defra’s work.
Defra is working on this review jointly with the Scottish and Welsh Governments and we plan to consult on proposed future policies next year.
The shielding programme was put in place to protect clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people – those who have been advised by the NHS not to leave their homes, because they are at a high risk of developing complications from coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Overall 2.2 million individuals have been identified as needing to shield. Of this group, approximately 350,000 have registered a need for essential supplies making the individual eligible for a priority slot for a supermarket delivery or food boxes, which they may cancel at any time.
In total over 2 million food boxes have been successfully delivered to CEV individuals since March. We are continuing to work with supermarkets to increase delivery capacity.
We do not hold centrally information on deliveries of food parcels by local authorities, total number of individuals benefiting from supermarket deliveries, or other support received by CEV individuals.
The Department is preparing regulations that will enable trials of rental e-scooters to begin. Trials will gather evidence of the safety of e-scooters and the impacts they have on the road. This will inform any future legislation for e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles. The Department recently consulted on proposed rules for e-scooter use that will be contained in the regulations and is working with local authorities to allow trials to begin soon.
E-scooter trials will include only rental scooters. This allows trials to take place in a controlled manner while we assess their safety and other impacts. There are a wide range of e-scooters available, built to differing standards. Limiting trials to rental scooters ensures that only approved scooters are used, and that they can meet legal requirements. It will also improve the quality of the evidence we gather, that will inform whether e-scooters should be fully legalised.
No assessment has been made. However, the Government has funded an extension of the Midlands’ Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, which is trialling interventions, including one with a focus on insomnia, to support and improve employee mental health and wellbeing, to support employees to remain in work. The final evaluation will be available by Spring 2024.
In addition, a range of Government initiatives are supporting disabled people, and people with health conditions, including insomnia, to start, stay, and succeed in, work. These include:
Over the last three years the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has delivered several month-long inspection campaigns encompassing risks arising from silica in the construction industry. These campaigns also ran over the period impacted by coronavirus restrictions. HSE used these campaigns to highlight risks from dust, including silica, and used repeated messaging to drive sustained behaviour changes. The campaigns involved inspectors across the country visiting around 1000 sites identified as being likely to have dust risks present.
HSE also delivers communications campaigns to support its regulatory activity. These campaigns inform duty holders and workers of the hazards faced and how these should be controlled and monitored. HSE’s dust campaign which ran in late 2021, included silica exposure, and involved social media and press activity to support awareness of the risks and how to control them.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not currently intend to review the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) in Great Britain. HSE contributed to the more recent European Union (EU) assessment of the limit in January 2019, where the EU reclassified RCS as a carcinogen and implemented the same occupational exposure limit as already existed in GB.
HSE will continue to monitor international developments in this area and the evidence base to consider the range of interventions that might be suitable, including any change to the exposure limit in GB.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) are made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and apply to all sectors and workplaces in Great Britain.
The 2013 regulations clarified and simplified the list of reportable ill-health conditions (occupational diseases), as a result of a recommendation made by Professor Löfstedt in his report “Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety legislation,” published in 2011.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) keeps the regulations, including specified injuries and reportable diseases, under review. The list of current reportable occupational diseases, including silicosis, will be considered as part of the next formal post-implementation review of RIDDOR, which is due to report in October 2023. HSE will engage with a range of stakeholders as part of the review process.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a well-established regulatory framework in place to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances at work.
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) employers have a duty to prevent or adequately control worker exposure to hazardous substances such as Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). COSHH sets out the hierarchy of control that must be implemented and, if managed appropriately, should result in achieving a level below the Work Exposure Limit (WEL) as detailed in HSE Guidance ‘EH40/2005, Workplace exposure limits’.
HSE also delivers communications campaigns to support its regulatory activity. These campaigns inform duty holders and workers of the hazards faced and how these should be controlled and monitored. HSE’s dust campaign which ran in late 2021, included silica exposure, and involved social media and press activity to support awareness of the risks and how to control them.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues its activity to help prevent work related respiratory ill health by using the best available evidence to design interventions that will improve health outcomes. HSE delivers a wide range of regulatory activity to prevent work related respiratory ill health, focusing on steps employers and workers can take to control occupational exposures.
No assessment has been made by the Department or NHS England of the annual cost to the National Health Service for treating patients with insomnia.
Through ‘Advancing Our Health: Prevention in the 2020s’, the Government committed to review the evidence on sleep and health. That review has been undertaken, and the outcomes will be published in due course.
We have no current plans to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ and there are no plans to publish next steps.
We have no current plans to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ and there are no plans to publish next steps.
This information is not collected in the format requested.
The information on the proportion of severe asthma patients prescribed a biologic is not held in the format requested. However, 3,396 patients commenced a new biologic therapy for severe asthma in the last year. All those patients considered to benefit from a biologic treatment by a specialist severe asthma team will have received the treatment.
The information on the proportion of severe asthma patients prescribed a biologic is not held in the format requested. However, 3,396 patients commenced a new biologic therapy for severe asthma in the last year. All those patients considered to benefit from a biologic treatment by a specialist severe asthma team will have received the treatment.
We have no specific plans to do so. However, the Quality and Outcomes Framework and the Investment and Impact Fund are reviewed to ensure alignment with the latest clinical guidance and best practice.
No specific estimate has been made. Compliance with the Best Practice Tariff criteria is measured by the National COPD Audit Programme’s secondary care audit.
There are no plans to do so. However, Core20PLUS5 supports increasing the uptake of COVID-19, flu and pneumonia vaccines to reduce infective exacerbations and potential emergency hospital admissions.
The Department and NHS England are currently reviewing delivery of the commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, including those relating to respiratory outcomes. The update to the NHS Long Term Plan will be published later this year.
There are no current plans to include metrics measuring uptake of biologics in the NHS Long Term Plan update. However, pathways to biologic therapy are being streamlined, including through the Accelerated Access Collaborative’s work to improve the identification of patients in primary and secondary care settings for referrals to assess suitability to receive biologic treatment.
The Department and NHS England are currently reviewing delivery of the commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, including those relating to respiratory outcomes. The update to the NHS Long Term Plan will be published later this year.
There are no current plans to include metrics measuring uptake of biologics in the NHS Long Term Plan update. However, pathways to biologic therapy are being streamlined, including through the Accelerated Access Collaborative’s work to improve the identification of patients in primary and secondary care settings for referrals to assess suitability to receive biologic treatment.
While the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’ does not specifically make recommendations on oral corticosteroids, NICE is working with the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to produce United Kingdom-wide guidance to update and replace this guideline. Evidence on pharmacological management, including the use of oral corticosteroids, will be reviewed during this process.
The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to assess asthma control through a questionnaire, which records of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique and a written personalised action plan, to monitor potential over-prescribing. The Impact and Investment Fund currently contains two indicators which aim to improve the care of people with asthma, including recognising Primary Care Networks which reduce in the percentage of patients receiving six or more Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABAs) prescriptions per year.
NICE’s guidelines for asthma and its guideline ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ recommend oral corticosteroids and alternatives. For adults with asthma, these include SABAs, leukotriene receptor antagonists and long-acting beta2 agonists. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), NICE recommends smoking cessation, SABAs and short-acting muscarinic antagonists, Theophylline tablets, oral mucolytic therapy, oral anti-oxidant therapy, oral anti-tussive therapy, oral prophylactic antibiotic therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy, short-burst oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation. NICE has also published technology appraisal guidance on biologics for those with severe asthma, such as Omalizumab for treating severe persistent allergic asthma.
No specific assessment has been made of the cost of caring for and treating adverse events in patients prescribed frequent or maintenance prescriptions of oral corticosteroids. However, in developing its guidelines, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for patients with severe asthma, such as mepolizumab, which considered the costs and benefits relating to a potential reduction in the use of corticosteroids.
NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Severe Asthma Collaborative is developing capacity in severe asthma centres to streamline patient pathways to biologic therapies and reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. A toolkit has been produced to support clinical teams.
The Royal College of General Practitioners’ guidance on long term condition recovery asks clinicians to consider all high-risk patients with COPD and asthma who have not received a review for more than 12 months and have been prescribed either three or more SABAs in the last 12 months; those aged five years old and over not on the asthma or COPD register who have received two or more courses of oral steroids in 12 months; and those on the asthma or COPD register to be prioritised for review.
While the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’ does not specifically make recommendations on oral corticosteroids, NICE is working with the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to produce United Kingdom-wide guidance to update and replace this guideline. Evidence on pharmacological management, including the use of oral corticosteroids, will be reviewed during this process.
The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to assess asthma control through a questionnaire, which records of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique and a written personalised action plan, to monitor potential over-prescribing. The Impact and Investment Fund currently contains two indicators which aim to improve the care of people with asthma, including recognising Primary Care Networks which reduce in the percentage of patients receiving six or more Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABAs) prescriptions per year.
NICE’s guidelines for asthma and its guideline ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ recommend oral corticosteroids and alternatives. For adults with asthma, these include SABAs, leukotriene receptor antagonists and long-acting beta2 agonists. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), NICE recommends smoking cessation, SABAs and short-acting muscarinic antagonists, Theophylline tablets, oral mucolytic therapy, oral anti-oxidant therapy, oral anti-tussive therapy, oral prophylactic antibiotic therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy, short-burst oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation. NICE has also published technology appraisal guidance on biologics for those with severe asthma, such as Omalizumab for treating severe persistent allergic asthma.
No specific assessment has been made of the cost of caring for and treating adverse events in patients prescribed frequent or maintenance prescriptions of oral corticosteroids. However, in developing its guidelines, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for patients with severe asthma, such as mepolizumab, which considered the costs and benefits relating to a potential reduction in the use of corticosteroids.
NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Severe Asthma Collaborative is developing capacity in severe asthma centres to streamline patient pathways to biologic therapies and reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. A toolkit has been produced to support clinical teams.
The Royal College of General Practitioners’ guidance on long term condition recovery asks clinicians to consider all high-risk patients with COPD and asthma who have not received a review for more than 12 months and have been prescribed either three or more SABAs in the last 12 months; those aged five years old and over not on the asthma or COPD register who have received two or more courses of oral steroids in 12 months; and those on the asthma or COPD register to be prioritised for review.
While the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’ does not specifically make recommendations on oral corticosteroids, NICE is working with the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to produce United Kingdom-wide guidance to update and replace this guideline. Evidence on pharmacological management, including the use of oral corticosteroids, will be reviewed during this process.
The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to assess asthma control through a questionnaire, which records of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique and a written personalised action plan, to monitor potential over-prescribing. The Impact and Investment Fund currently contains two indicators which aim to improve the care of people with asthma, including recognising Primary Care Networks which reduce in the percentage of patients receiving six or more Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABAs) prescriptions per year.
NICE’s guidelines for asthma and its guideline ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ recommend oral corticosteroids and alternatives. For adults with asthma, these include SABAs, leukotriene receptor antagonists and long-acting beta2 agonists. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), NICE recommends smoking cessation, SABAs and short-acting muscarinic antagonists, Theophylline tablets, oral mucolytic therapy, oral anti-oxidant therapy, oral anti-tussive therapy, oral prophylactic antibiotic therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy, short-burst oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation. NICE has also published technology appraisal guidance on biologics for those with severe asthma, such as Omalizumab for treating severe persistent allergic asthma.
No specific assessment has been made of the cost of caring for and treating adverse events in patients prescribed frequent or maintenance prescriptions of oral corticosteroids. However, in developing its guidelines, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for patients with severe asthma, such as mepolizumab, which considered the costs and benefits relating to a potential reduction in the use of corticosteroids.
NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Severe Asthma Collaborative is developing capacity in severe asthma centres to streamline patient pathways to biologic therapies and reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. A toolkit has been produced to support clinical teams.
The Royal College of General Practitioners’ guidance on long term condition recovery asks clinicians to consider all high-risk patients with COPD and asthma who have not received a review for more than 12 months and have been prescribed either three or more SABAs in the last 12 months; those aged five years old and over not on the asthma or COPD register who have received two or more courses of oral steroids in 12 months; and those on the asthma or COPD register to be prioritised for review.
The NHS England and NHS Improvement Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) on Improving Access to Biologic Therapy estimates that approximately 200,000 or 5% of patients with asthma have severe asthma. Of these patients, the AAC estimates that between 50,000 to 100,000 may be eligible for biologic therapy, with approximately 11,000 patients receiving this treatment. The AAC aims to improve the identification of these patients in primary and secondary care settings, to allow referrals to specialist severe asthma centres to determine their suitability for biologic treatment.
No specific estimate of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested. No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home administration for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. While we are ensuring that patients who are eligible for this treatment are able to access it, there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria.
The NHS England and NHS Improvement Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) on Improving Access to Biologic Therapy estimates that approximately 200,000 or 5% of patients with asthma have severe asthma. Of these patients, the AAC estimates that between 50,000 to 100,000 may be eligible for biologic therapy, with approximately 11,000 patients receiving this treatment. The AAC aims to improve the identification of these patients in primary and secondary care settings, to allow referrals to specialist severe asthma centres to determine their suitability for biologic treatment.
No specific estimate of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested. No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home administration for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. While we are ensuring that patients who are eligible for this treatment are able to access it, there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria.
The NHS England and NHS Improvement Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) on Improving Access to Biologic Therapy estimates that approximately 200,000 or 5% of patients with asthma have severe asthma. Of these patients, the AAC estimates that between 50,000 to 100,000 may be eligible for biologic therapy, with approximately 11,000 patients receiving this treatment. The AAC aims to improve the identification of these patients in primary and secondary care settings, to allow referrals to specialist severe asthma centres to determine their suitability for biologic treatment.
No specific estimate of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested. No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home administration for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. While we are ensuring that patients who are eligible for this treatment are able to access it, there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria.
As COVID-19 is a new disease, it is not yet clear what the physical, neurological, psychological and rehabilitation impacts will be for those with conditions such as asthma and severe asthma.
People with severe asthma are not currently being asked to shield. The decision to continue self-administration of home biologics will be made between the person with severe asthma and their specialist centre on how best to manage their condition.
Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma, along with urgent and emergency treatment for other serious complaints, have continued throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. In most cases people with severe asthma have been able to receive their medication at home instead of having to attend hospital.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home delivery for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce the risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. The NHS England severe asthma ‘Accelerated Access Collaborative’ will continue to focus on the area of home administration.
No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.
Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.
No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.
Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.
No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.
Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.