Health: Disadvantaged and Sickle Cell Diseases

(asked on 26th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking as part of the NHS covid-19 recovery plans to (a) reduce health inequalities and (b) support patients with sickle cell disease.


Answered by
Nadine Dorries Portrait
Nadine Dorries
This question was answered on 9th June 2021

COVID-19 has exerted an unprecedented strain on the National Health Service, however the NHS is working incredibly hard to keep services going throughout this pandemic for all patients, including those with sickle cell disease. To help kickstart recovery, the Government is providing £1 billion to incentivise providers to address backlogs and tackle long waiting lists; this is accessible through the Elective Recovery Fund. In May, NHS England also launched a £160 million initiative to tackle waiting lists. The Department will continue to support the NHS to deliver the maximum amount of elective activity possible. The Minister for Equalities is leading work to take forward the response to tackle COVID-19 disparities experienced by individuals from an ethnic minority background, including people with sickle cell disease, and recently published her third report to the Prime Minister.

Reticulating Splines