Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 impact of the covid-19 pandemic on (a) waiting times for mental health care services and (b) the quality of mental health care provision in each of the last three years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We have made no specific assessments. The COVID-19 pandemic inevitably caused service disruption and increased pressure on mental health services contributing to rising need, demand and complexity of presentations.
Despite these significant challenges, mental health services in the National Health Service have continued to deliver progress against some of the key ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan throughout this period. This includes meeting the early intervention in psychosis waiting time standard, delivering the commitment for mental health support teams to cover 20-25% of pupils in schools and colleges in England a year ahead of schedule and the roll out of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, urgent mental health helplines nationwide when the pandemic hit.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2022 to Question 126706 on Treasury: Coronavirus, if he will make it his policy to require individual risk assessments for all employees at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before they return to the workplace following the easing of covid-19 restrictions; and how many individual risk assessments for people returning to work have been conducted by HMRC as of 2 March 2022.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Throughout the pandemic HMRC have, in line with UK and Devolved Administration Guidance, made the Health & Safety (H&S) of employees their top priority, and put in place robust control measures to deliver on that. Measures include facilitating working at home where possible and providing a range of mental health and wellbeing services for employees wherever they are based. HMRC ensured suitable ventilation and additional cleaning in their workplaces, as well as the mandation of the wearing of face coverings in their Scottish offices. For offices in the other UK nations, there was an expectation that face coverings would be worn from Summer 2021 to January 2022.
The HMRC Chief Executive gave notice on 31 January 2022 that from 28 February colleagues in England and Scotland will move to new ‘hybrid’ ways of working. As greater numbers of HMRC employees return to the workplace, the Department has put in place a ‘Return to Office Discussion Toolkit’. This gives managers and employees an opportunity to consider health, safety, and wellbeing in the context of the employees’ personal circumstances, to identify any concerns, and the right next steps and solutions. The Toolkit includes an Individual Risk Assessment, which can be used to help employees and managers understand the cumulative risk, to consider what additional controls can be put in place, and to make an informed decision about next steps. If any concerns are identified after working through the individual risk assessment, professional Occupational Health advice and welfare support is available. Completing the Individual Risk Assessment is not mandated in HMRC, which reflects the Scottish Government Guidance position that employers “should continue to conduct individual risk assessments … where necessary”. This remains the position going forward, subject to any changes in UK or Devolved Administration Government Guidance.
As part of the Toolkit and risk assessment process, HMRC have recognised that there may be some colleagues who need additional flexibility and support as part of their return to the office. Therefore, HMRC managers have the flexibility and discretion to support employees with plans that might run to a slightly longer timeframe. The ‘Supported Returns Plan Toolkit’ allows additional time to enable solutions to be put in place for the employee’s return to the office, as well as the continuation of support for them, such as additional utilities, travel expenses, and London pay easement, where applicable.
Whilst HMRC requires each manager and employee to have a Toolkit-led conversation as part of return to office planning, they do not retain records of how many individual risk assessments for people returning to work have been conducted.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the 14 day covid-19 isolation period operating within children’s mental health units.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
On 17 January 2022, guidance was updated to recommend that the inpatient isolation period for COVID-19 cases or contacts is reduced from 14 days to 10 days, with some exceptions. It also outlines that NHS services, including children’s mental health units, should take a risk assessment approach to implementing the guidance in their area.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
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 impact of the 14 day covid-19 isolation periods in children’s mental health units on (a) the children using the units and (b) their parents.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
No specific assessment has been made. However, commissioners and clinical teams have used digital forms of communication to maintain and, where possible, enhance therapeutic engagement, including supporting contact with parents and families.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken for DVLA to contact an applicant's GP or health professional where medical input is required to process an application or renewal for a driving licence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of applications for driving licences for people with medical conditions.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timeframes for (a) applications and (b) renewals of driving licences being processed by the DVLA for applicants with medical conditions.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many outstanding (a) driving licence renewals, (b) applications for provisional licences and (c) other driving licence applications are pending processing by the DVLA for those with medical conditions.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 ability of mental health services to function effectively in the context of the additional pressure on health services as a result of high levels of covid-19 cases.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Mental health services have remained open throughout the pandemic. Local health systems are asked to ensure that access to community-based mental health services is retained to ensure that those at risk and are most vulnerable can access treatment and care, with face-to-face care provided as far as possible.
On 24 December, NHS England and NHS Improvement published ‘2022-23 priorities and operational planning guidance’, setting out the services that systems have been asked to deliver during the current high levels of COVID-19 cases.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 extending the temporary suspension of the NHS abatement rules past March 2022.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Pension abatement in the National Health Service applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 years old and 60 years old, these pensions plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that this a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS, including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 suspended the rule to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March with other provisions. The NHS Business Services Authority are writing to all pensioners under 60 years old in this group who may be affected, to advise how much they can earn before their pension is abated. These nurses and any who subsequently retire should continue to be able to work for the NHS. However, the Department will keep this under review.