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Written Question
Mental Health: Weather
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of integrating mental health data with the mapping of predictions of extreme weather events.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Department has made no such assessment. It is important that the right support is in place, including for those affected by extreme weather events. NHS England has clinical guidelines on dealing with major incidents, including on providing psychosocial support for both patients and staff.

Talking therapies are available remotely so people can access help safely from home and the National Health Service is working to ensure the option of face-to-face support is provided to people with serious mental health illnesses across all ages where it is clinically safe to do so.

The UK Health Security Agency has published an Adverse Weather and Health Plan to provide information to assist health professionals and public agencies to understand and mitigate the mental health risks posed by adverse weather conditions. It is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan


Written Question
Housing: Heating
Thursday 16th March 2023

Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Building Research Establishment's analysis entitled Tackling cold homes would save the NHS £540 million per year, published 1 March 2023, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of that analysis.

Answered by Will Quince

The Government recognises that living in a cold home can affect physical and mental health and welcomes the new Building Research Establishment analysis as a helpful contribution to the evidence base.

The Government is committed to addressing poor housing conditions and reducing the impact of cold weather. The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on these matters. This work includes a review of guidance on damp and mould in the rented housing sector, and UKHSA’s Cold Weather Plan for England.

The Government is also providing a £37 billion package of cost-of-living support to help households and businesses, including a £15 billion targeted package of direct support for the most vulnerable households. A further funding package worth £26 billion will provide support to the most vulnerable households in 2023/24.


Written Question
Drugs and Vaccination
Thursday 16th March 2023

Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)

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 assessment of the impact of the use by the NHS of (a) vaccines and (b) antiviral drugs on trends in the level of excess deaths.

Answered by Will Quince

A detailed assessment of trends in the causes of excess deaths over winter 2022/23 is not available, it is likely that a combination of factors has contributed, including high flu prevalence, cold weather, the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

While there are many explanatory factors, the Office for National Statistics published new analysis on 21 February 2023 which showed that up to 31 December 2022 the COVID-19 mortality rate has been consistently lower each month since the COVID-19 vaccine booster introduction in September 2021 for people who've had at least a third dose or booster, compared with unvaccinated people and those with just a first or second dose.

The Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is working to provide the highest levels of protection possible for the United Kingdom population including those for whom vaccines may be less effective, such as those who are immunocompromised, by making available treatments to prevent progression to severe disease. There is now a range of treatment options, such as antiviral treatments, dexamethasone and monoclonal antibodies accessible under published UK policies, for hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients in the UK. These pharmaceutical interventions play an important role, alongside vaccines.


Written Question
Solar Power: VAT
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 November 2022 to Question 73093 on Solar Power: VAT, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying a zero per cent rate of VAT to batteries used for energy-storage purposes to supporting weather-dependant renewable energy sources, and whether he will provide and update on the review.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

As set out in my previous response, at Spring Statement 2022, the Government announced the expansion of the VAT relief on the installation of energy saving materials (ESMs) to residential accommodation in Great Britain. The expansion of the relief, which includes the zero-rating of solar panel installations, represents an additional £280 million of support for investment in ESMs.

VAT is the UK’s third largest tax, forecast to raise £157 billion in 2022/23, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS and policing. Extending the ESMs relief to battery storage as a standalone technology would have a fiscal cost and should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum.

However, the Government keeps all taxes under review, and recognises the importance of ensuring that policy remains in step with the rapid pace of technological development in the ESMs market and the changing policy context since this particular relief was introduced.


Written Question
Magnetic Resonance Imagers: Procurement
Thursday 24th November 2022

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

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 15 November 2022 to Question 83748 on Health Services: Weather, how old the 200 magnetic resonance imaging scanners are that are being upgraded; and what proportion this is of the total number of magnetic resonance imaging scanners which require upgrading in England.

Answered by Will Quince

The funding will be used to provide computed tomography, including single-photon emission computed tomography; fluoroscopy; interventional radiology; mammography; magnetic resonance imaging; and non-obstetric ultrasound scan x-ray. It will also include miscellaneous support items and accessories.

The majority of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners being upgraded are under six years old. Funding criteria was approved to upgrade all appropriate MRI scanners in acute hospital trusts with acceleration technology to deliver the greatest impact on waiting lists. Older MRI scanners were excluded as this equipment was close to the recommended replacement age of over 10 years old and suppliers could not ensure the technology would deliver the expected growth in capacity. In future, suppliers and NHS Supply Chain will work with National Health Service trusts to ensure that where appropriate MRI acceleration is purchased, this is in conjunction with the scanner purchase.


Written Question
Tomography: Procurement
Thursday 24th November 2022

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

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 15 November 2022 to Question 83748 on Health Services: Weather, what type of imaging equipment the £15 million allocated in 2022-23 will go to.

Answered by Will Quince

The funding will be used to provide computed tomography, including single-photon emission computed tomography; fluoroscopy; interventional radiology; mammography; magnetic resonance imaging; and non-obstetric ultrasound scan x-ray. It will also include miscellaneous support items and accessories.

The majority of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners being upgraded are under six years old. Funding criteria was approved to upgrade all appropriate MRI scanners in acute hospital trusts with acceleration technology to deliver the greatest impact on waiting lists. Older MRI scanners were excluded as this equipment was close to the recommended replacement age of over 10 years old and suppliers could not ensure the technology would deliver the expected growth in capacity. In future, suppliers and NHS Supply Chain will work with National Health Service trusts to ensure that where appropriate MRI acceleration is purchased, this is in conjunction with the scanner purchase.


Written Question
Public Health: Weather
Thursday 24th November 2022

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential risks to public health during winter 2022-23.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

We regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including public health. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors data on epidemiological and disease impacts and has detailed plans to prepare for and respond to health threats. These include COVID-19, influenza and other health threats such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus, avian flu, norovirus and other gastrointestinal viruses.

The UKHSA, in collaboration with NHS England, the Local Government Association, the Met Office and the Department, has published ‘The Cold Weather Plan for England: Protecting health and reducing harm from cold weather’ for 2022/23. The Plan aims to prevent the major avoidable effects on health during periods of cold weather by alerting people to the negative health effects and to prepare and respond appropriately.


Written Question
Sun: Safety
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to promote safety in the sun.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published the most recent ‘Heatwave plan for England’ on 26 April 2022, which provides advice on safety from heat-related harm to health. The plan is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1096593/heatwave-plan-for-England-2022-5-August-2022.pdf

The UKHSA held a heatwave and summer preparedness stakeholder event on 28 April 2022 with over 1,000 participants from the health and social care sector and other Government departments and issued a toolkit for hot weather to National Health Service organisations, emergency services and local authorities in England through Local Resilience Forums and regional communications teams. On 14 July 2022, the UKHSA provided heat health alerts and advice on staying safe in the sun during extreme heat, which is available at the following link:

https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/07/14/staying-safe-in-extreme-heat/

The NHS also has published guidance on the wearing of suitable clothing, such as hats and sunglasses and the use of sunscreen which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/


Written Question
Death: Weather
Monday 26th September 2022

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help prevent cold home deaths in winter 2022-23.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will publish its annual review of the ‘Cold weather plan for England’ shortly. The plan is developed based on the advice provided by Government Departments and agencies, including the UKHSA, the Department for Health and Social Care, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Met Office, NHS England, local authorities, the Local Government Association and Age UK.

It aims to prevent the major avoidable effects on health during periods of cold weather by alerting people to the negative health effects and enabling them to prepare and respond appropriately.


Written Question
Local Resilience Forums: Weather
Tuesday 13th September 2022

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) instruct all resilience forums to establish a plan for tackling extreme heat, including checks on vulnerable residents and cool rest facilities, and (b) publish guidance his Department has issued on this prior to the period of extreme heat in July 2022.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

This instruction should, and does, come from the Department for Health and Social Care as the lead department on the Heatwave Plan for England (through the UKHSA) rather than the Cabinet Office. As part of this, their officials and ministers liaise with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Local Communities to share policy guidance for Local Resilience Forums.

UKHSA’s Heatwave Plan for England contains the following:

  • “The plan focuses on the effects of severe hot weather on health and well-being, however, severe and extended heatwaves can also cause severe disruption to general services. For this reason, multi-agency Local Health Resilience Partnerships (LHRPs) and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) will have a critical role in preparing and responding to heatwaves at a local level, working closely with Health and Wellbeing Boards on longer term strategic planning.

  • At local level, emergency planning arrangements run by local government and the NHS are brought together in the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), which have many years of experience with heatwave plans and heat-health alert system. LHRPs have been established to bring together the local health sector organisations to support in strategic planning.

  • Health Services and local authority commissioners, together with multi-agency LRFs, should satisfy themselves that providers and stakeholders take appropriate actions according to the heat-health alert levels.”

The Heatwave Plan for England also contains resources that provide guidance, recommendations and advice for the public and professionals. Given the health threat and the impacts observed in summer 2021 additional work has been taken forward by UKHSA and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to raise awareness of the health consequences of hot weather and enable professionals, organisations and individuals to plan, mitigate and respond to hot weather episodes effectively. These include:

  • Updating the materials related to hot weather risks on the Heatwave Plan for England collection page. These provide sector specific guidance on actions to take during a heatwave to safeguard patients and service users.

  • Publishing the 2022 Heatwave communications toolkit and social media assets which have been shared with UKHSA regional communications, cross-government partners and local government to support consistent and clear messaging on heat-health.

Coordinating all of the previously circulated guidance will pose a disproportionate cost.