Department of Health and Social Care

The data requested is not held centrally.

No recent assessment has been made.

No specific research has been commissioned.

Information on the methodology used by the Joint Biosecurity Centre is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-risk-assessment-methodology-to-inform-international-travel-traffic-light-system/risk-assessment-methodology-to-inform-international-travel-traffic-light-system

We have no current plans to do so. However, we will monitor the situation as more information becomes available and our understanding of the potential causal links between the COVID-19 vaccines and its purported side effects becomes clearer.

All Novavax clinical trial participants in England and Wales can access their domestic COVID Pass through the NHS App or online through NHS.UK.

As of 21 September, approximately two thirds of Novavax trial participants in England, can present their vaccination information through the NHS COVID Pass for travel purposes. Work is ongoing to ensure that all clinical trial participants can access an NHS COVID Pass for travel in the near future.

The decision for a participant in a vaccine trial to receive a further vaccination should be made in conjunction with clinicians. This may vary depending on the vaccine. The clinical guidance for administering further vaccinations for trial participants is currently under review.

The evidence is based on published literature. In a recent trial of 2,260 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years old three COVID-19 cases were noted within 11 days after dose one among Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine recipients, as compared with 12 cases among those who had not received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. There were no cases more than seven days after two doses, which is the recommended course for at-risk children. The study, ‘Safety, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Adolescents’, is available at the following link:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2107456

In this context, the definition of ‘small’ means that although individuals could still be infected with the virus, they are less likely to develop symptoms of COVID-19 after vaccination.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for funding end of life and palliative care services in their area as part of their statutory responsibilities. NHS England’s palliative and end of life care delivery plan describes their focus on improving access, quality and sustainability in line with the NHS Long Term Plan, which contains a specific commitment to provide more personalised care.

NHS England’s Dementia Well Pathway highlights that services should be integrated, commissioned, trained and monitored aligned with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s standards. The Pathway is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/03/dementia-well-pathway.pdf

Public Health England’s COVID-19 vaccination consent form for children and young people or parents and carers is part of a suite of materials designed to assist an individual in making their decision about acceptance of vaccination. It is intended that this should be completed once an individual has been supplied with the easy-read information leaflet on COVID-19 vaccination in children and young people, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-easy-read-resources-for-children-and-young-people/covid-19-vaccination-an-easy-read-guide-for-at-risk-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-15-years

This contains the necessary information about potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccination, including myocarditis and pericarditis. These side effects are described in the patient information leaflet as ‘problems with their heart’; ‘pain in their chest’; and ‘breathing problems’.

No such estimate has been made. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) advises that it is at an early stage in developing its estates a strategy, including understanding how any changes would impact on the care patients receive. The LAS will engage with the public and stakeholders on any proposed changes.

No such estimate has been made. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) advises that it is at an early stage in developing its estates a strategy, including understanding how any changes would impact on the care patients receive. The LAS will engage with the public and stakeholders on any proposed changes.

In England, decisions about local fertility services are determined by clinical commissioning groups, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) fertility guidelines.

NICE is reviewing their fertility guidelines which will consider the current access criteria to treatment for female same-sex couples.

No specific guidance has been issued. No AstraZeneca doses branded as Covishield have been administered in the United Kingdom. All AstraZeneca vaccines in the UK are the same product and appear on the NHS COVID Pass as ‘Vaxzevria’, which has been permitted for international travel since May 2021.

The training needs for staff supporting those living with dementia are available at the following link:

https://skillsforhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Dementia-Core-Skills-Education-and-Training-Framework.pdf

Since 1 April 2015, health care assistants and social care support workers, including those providing care to people with dementia, have received training as part of the implementation of the Care Certificate. As at September 2020, over 1.5 million episodes of tier 1 basic dementia awareness training have been completed by National Health Service staff. In addition, over 233,000 episodes of dementia training at tier 2 and nearly 32,000 episodes of dementia training at tier 3 have been delivered and over one million care workers have completed the Care Certificate or common induction standards. We will be setting out our plans on dementia for England, including training, for future years in due course.

The duty of care for medical provision should a passenger or guest present with symptoms other than COVID-19 rests with the National Health Service. All managed quarantine facilities’ staff, security and testing staff ensure that every guest is kept in a safe environment and that the potential for exposure to others within the facility who may have tested positive for COVID-19 is minimised.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for services and support for people with dementia. We expect CCGs to commission services that take into account relevant guidance, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines and the Dementia Care Pathway, which sets out benchmarks to improve the delivery and quality of care and support.

Public Health England has published factsheets for CCGs to understand local patterns and potential reasons for trends in dementia diagnosis rates, as well as identifying specific areas for support. In addition, £17 million has been made available to CCGs to address the needs of those waiting for diagnosis and those who have a diagnosis but are unable to access support services due to the pandemic.

Prior to any hotel or establishment becoming a Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) facility, a complete risk assessment is carried out. MQS hotels comply fully with all regulatory and legislative requirements including those relating to health and safety, COVID-19 protocols and fire risk. All assessments incorporate guidance from Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive.

The Department contracts Managed Quarantine Service hotels via Corporate Travel Management (CTM). Initial complaints are raised with CTM to address with hotels. In addition, the Department has deployed liaison officers to liaise with hotels in England to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures are being adhered to in line with any contractual standards. The Department’s contract management and commercial teams monitor standards and performance and will terminate contracts where performance or standards remain below requirements.

Public Health England publishes notifications of food poisoning which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notifiable-diseases-weekly-reports-for-2021

On 27 August, NHS England and NHS Improvement advised all local commissioners to facilitate general practitioner registration for all individuals arriving from Afghanistan and an enhanced health assessment to identify and manage families’ immediate health and care requirements.

The assessment should cover trauma and safeguarding concerns, mental health needs, women’s and children’s health, long-term conditions, areas of public health concern, vaccinations and ensuring pathways to other priority services such as maternity, child health services, dental and eye care. Individuals requiring more specialist or extensive mental health support will be referred onto relevant services.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 requires care home providers to allow entry to the premises only to those who can demonstrate evidence of having had a complete course of an authorised COVID-19 vaccine or evidence that they are exempt from vaccination. These Regulations come into force on 11 November 2021. This includes all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider, on a full-time or part-time basis, those employed by an agency and deployed by the care home, and volunteers deployed in the care home.

It will also include those providing direct care and those coming into care homes to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, the Care Quality Commission’s inspectors and hairdressers and beauticians.

We are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to improve the provision of health and care services for disabled children. Children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who require additional provision will receive an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan assessment. The SEND Regulations 2014 make clear that local authorities must complete an EHC plan assessment within twenty weeks after the request is received unless exceptional circumstances apply. The Department for Education monitors local authority performance on EHC plan assessments to establish where there are long-standing delays and provide support. This could include training for staff, extra monitoring or engagement with partners to improve joint working.

The total number of people on waiting lists for non-urgent treatment in England and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table.

No specific assessment has been made. Children and young people aged under 18 years and six months old who usually attend an education or childcare setting and who have been identified as a close contact can continue to attend as normal.

Working parents or guardians of a child or young person who has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace may be eligible for support via the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme if they live in England and meet specific eligibility criteria. The payment covers the full 10-day self-isolation period. If an individual has to look after someone who is required to self-isolate, they may also qualify for other welfare and COVID-19 support, such as Universal Credit and/or the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

There are currently no plans to do so. However, the Department is currently reviewing the guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees’.

I am the Minister with responsibility for social care and mental health.

We have announced that we will be investing an additional £5.4 billion across three years in social care. The announcement includes funding that will be made available to all local authorities to cover the costs of implementing our reforms, including the cap, the increased capital limit and moving towards paying a fair rate of care and the associated implementation costs. The Government intends to compensate departments and other public sector employers in England at the forthcoming Spending Review for the increased cost of the Levy and provide Barnett consequentials on this funding to the devolved administrations.

No assessment has been made. However, Health Education England is providing additional funding to support an increase of five nuclear medicine physician training posts in the National Health Service in England in 2021/22. The next Spending Review will set out further details of the Government’s spending plans including the NHS workforce.

We are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to improve the provision of health services for disabled children. On 6 September 2021, we announced an additional £5.4 billion to support the COVID-19 response over the next six months, which includes £2 billion to tackle the elective backlog and reducing waiting times for patients, including disabled children.

We have also allocated £79 million to expand mental health services for children, including disabled children and £31 million to address particular challenges faced by individuals with a learning disability and autistic people, with £3 million for community respite services.

We are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to enhance the provision of health and care services for disabled children. Children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who require additional provision will receive an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan assessment. The SEND Regulations (2014) make clear that local authorities must complete an EHC plan assessment within twenty weeks after the request is received unless exceptional circumstances apply. The Department for Education monitors local authority performance on EHC plan assessments to establish where there are long-standing delays and provide support. This could include training for staff, extra monitoring or engagement with partners to improve joint working.

Community diagnostic hubs (CDHs) will be equipped with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanners and biopsy facilities, which are used for the detection of kidney cancer. Full guidance on the diagnostic testing required within CDHs will be published in due course.

Funding for HIV treatment and care services is provided by NHS England and NHS Improvement through specialised commissioning. HIV testing and prevention is funded by local government through the ringfenced Public Health Grant. Decisions on future funding will be taken in the forthcoming Spending Review

The Department is currently developing a new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy and an HIV Action Plan towards the 2030 target, both of which are planned for publication later this year.

The Department has regular discussions with NHS England and NHS Improvement NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor the monthly data published by NHS Digital on the prescribing of anti-psychotic medication for people diagnosed with dementia. There is also regular contact with regional clinical network leads and local services to understand the patterns in prescribing and potential reasons for such trends.

The annual official statistics on new diagnoses of HIV infection and people accessing HIV care will be released in early December. However, between 2014 and 2019, there was a 34% reduction in new HIV diagnoses in England.

Based on the success of the vaccine programme and new treatments becoming available, we do not anticipate shielding being required in the future. We are advising those previously considered as clinically extremely vulnerable consider their own risk, supported by their National Health Service clinician where necessary.

The Department has no current plans to make such an assessment. NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor monthly data published by NHS Digital on the prescribing of anti-psychotic medication for people diagnosed with dementia. They also work closely with regional clinical network leads and local services to understand the patterns in prescribing and potential reasons for any trends.

Public Health England published clinical commissioning group factsheets to provide context around prescribing activity and facilitate an understanding of the patterns in prescribing. These are available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile-group/mental-health/profile/dementia/data#page/

The following table shows the external attendees at the summit.

The Department has put in place measures to retain staff which includes a package of wellbeing support such as helplines and we have set out our intention to make care work a more rewarding vocation, offering a career where people can develop new skills.

We will invest at least £500 million across three years in social care workforce professionalisation and development and wellbeing and mental health support, which will support retention of staff in the sector.

A specific estimate has not been made. Our investment will deliver new qualifications, progression pathways and wellbeing and mental health support. We will also introduce further reforms to improve recruitment and support for our social care workforce. We will set out more detail in the forthcoming white paper.

We continue to monitor capacity and work closely with the social care sector to consider any further actions. Our next national recruitment campaign for adult social care will be launched this autumn. We are also ensuring free and fast-track Disclosure and Barring Service checks for staff recruited in response to the pandemic and the promotion of adult social care careers in Job Centres.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual’s eligibility for care and support as set out in the Care Act 2014 and where the individual is eligible for financial support, for meeting those needs.

The forthcoming Health and Care Bill will set out the Department’s plans to develop an enhanced assurance framework to support improved social care outcomes, identify and share best practice and build on existing sector-led support and improvement programmes. This includes powers to collect improved data and a new duty for the Care Quality Commission to assess local authorities’ delivery of their adult social care duties to help drive quality and outcomes for care users.

The HIV Action Plan is currently being developed for publication in December 2021 and will set out our plans for annual reporting to Parliament from 2022.

On 7 September, we committed to investing an additional £5.4 billion over three years to begin a comprehensive programme of reform for adult social care. The introduction of an £86,000 cap on lifetime personal care costs will end people’s worry that they may face unpredictable or unlimited care costs. We also announced an investment of at least £500 million to support the development and wellbeing of the care workforce. This will enable a five-fold increase in public spending on the skills and training of care workers and registered managers.

We will work with care users, providers, and other partners to develop these plans and publish further detail in a white paper for reform later this year.