Found: better.fl2 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-admission-and-care-of-people-in-care-homes

Found: package GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus -covid -19-support -for -care

Found: GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus - covid - 19 - support - for - care

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Adult Social Care Omicron Support Fund.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In recognition of the increased pressures on existing funding sources caused by the Omicron variant, the Government made available £60 million of additional funding for January 2022 through the Omicron Support Fund.

As this funding was made available in January 2022, it was not included in the Government grants statistics publication for 2020 to 2021. However, it was included in the publication for 2021 to 2022, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/government-grants-statistics-2021-to-2022.

This fund was unringfenced, meaning that local authorities could prioritise the use of their allocations based on local resource and need. Local authorities submitted spending reports as part of our monitoring, showing use of their funding on the key measures outlined in the grant conditions, which were confirmed as the appropriate activities at that time. No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Omicron Support Fund.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care homes received transfers from NHS hospitals in April 2020; and how many of those patients were tested for Covid before transfer.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to remove the requirement for care homes to recommend residents undergo PCR testing where more than two covid-19 cases inside a care setting have been confirmed.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government’s guidance on outbreak testing, where more than two COVID-19 cases inside a care setting have been confirmed, is informed by public health advice. This aims to ensure that positive cases of COVID-19 can be identified and to prevent transmission. We continue to keep this guidance under review.

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 to support care homes dealing with covid-19 outbreaks over the winter 2022-23 period.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the event of a suspected outbreak, the Government’s guidance states that the care home should inform the local health protection team or other relevant partner to provide advice and support on the clinical situation. Testing should be undertaken to prevent further transmission and the guidance offers flexibility on further temporary measures which may be taken to manage the outbreak, subject to a risk assessment. We are working with local partners and the care sector to ensure the guidance can be deployed proportionately during the winter.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to take steps to end the requirement for staff working in care homes to wear face masks.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

At present, adult social care guidance continues to recommend that all care home staff and visitors wear masks to provide protection for residents from COVID-19. The guidance allows for masks to not be used if, as part of a risk assessment, they are considered particularly challenging for the resident. We continue to keep this under review. Further personal protective equipment may also be recommended to carry out specific tasks.

The Department continues to work with the UK Health Security Agency to review relevant guidance to ensure it reflects the latest available evidence and safe and proportionate infection prevention and control principles.

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 14 June 2022 to Question 1680 on Care Homes: Coronavirus, if she will publish figures on respite care home capacity from March 2020 to the present.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) respite care homes, (b) care homes and (c) nursing homes limiting their patient capacity due to covid-19 restrictions in the latest period for which information is available.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The information requested is not held centrally. Updated guidance for the sector was published on 31 March 2022 to ensure there are sufficient protections for care recipients while safely removing restrictions as far as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of ongoing covid-19 restrictions for care settings on (a) respite care home capacity and (b) patients and carers requiring respite care.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

No specific assessment has been made. However, we continue to monitor the delivery of the ‘Living with COVID-19’ plan. Updated guidance for the sector was published on 31 March 2022 to ensure there are sufficient protections for care recipients while safely removing restrictions as far as possible. We are investing up to £25 million to identify and test a range of new and existing interventions to support unpaid carers, which could include respite and breaks.

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 adequacy and effectiveness of support given to care homes since the publication of the Government's Living with Covid-19 document in February 2022.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

No specific assessment has been made. However, on 31 March 2022 updated guidance for the sector was published to ensure sufficient protections for care recipients remain. Care home residents will continue to be prioritised for vaccinations, the free provision of personal protective equipment remains and testing will continue to be provided to the sector.

We are also investing £5.4 billion over the next three years to begin the reform of adult social care, including £1.36 billion to move towards a fair cost of care.

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 ensure adequate supply of (a) PCR and (b) LFT covid-19 testing kit supplies to care homes.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The UK Health Security Agency continues to work with commercial partners to procure sufficient test kits and ensure a continuous supply to care homes. Care homes can order rapid lateral flow device (LFD) tests for regular asymptomatic testing, symptomatic testing of staff and residents and LFD and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in the case of outbreaks. A courier booking service remains available to all care homes for completed PCR test kits in during outbreaks.

Found: package GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus -covid -19-support -for -care

Found: GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus - covid - 19 - support - for - care

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued regarding "purposeful walkers" restraint practices in hospitals and care homes.

Answered by Stewart, Kevin

The Scottish Government has issued the following guidance regarding “purposeful walkers” and use of restraint practices in hospitals and care homes: