Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to share complete details of COVID-19 cases with Directors of Public Health in local authorities as soon as cases are identified. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
All upper tier local authorities have access to record level (including sex, age, occupation and postcode) test and case data. Directors of Public Health are also receiving fully identifiable test, case and contact tracing data where the case data includes, address, postcode, sex, age, NHS Number, occupation, test date, and additional data describing progress through the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing process. Public Health England (PHE) provides access to this data via a secure platform to Directors of Public Health to enable them more flexible access to test, case and contact tracing data to support their outbreak management responsibilities, as is routine. This data is currently updated on a daily basis.
PHE began providing record level positive test data, including postcodes, to local authorities (including Directors of Public Health) on 24 June.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what insights they have gathered from the NHS COVID-19 Test and Trace service about the main circumstances in which the virus is transmitted.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To help understand the circumstances in which COVID-19 is transmitted, a wide variety of real-time data at both local and national level is published in the Weekly COVID19 Surveillance Report in an online only format on GOV.UK.
The virus is transmitted when a contact spends time with someone who has COVID-19. This includes face-to-face contact (for one minute), being coughed on, or spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of someone with COVID-19. While those who test positive cannot say for certain where they picked up the infection, they can indicate possible places. Data from 13 to 20 September, shows the most common potential event, positive cases indicated where they may have picked up the virus as; eating out (14.6%), followed by shopping (13.4%). Then for contacts of a known positive case this was indicated from within households (59.8%), followed by visiting the positive case in their household (13.7%).
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the delivery of the flu vaccine this autumn has been delayed in reaching GP surgeries.
Answered by Lord Bethell
It is usual for flu vaccine deliveries from manufacturers to be phased throughout the vaccination period.
General practitioners and pharmacies are responsible for ordering the flu vaccine for adults directly from manufacturers, and decisions about volume and delivery dates are made by the manufacturer.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 26 June (HL3499), where in the report Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Mitigating Measures, published on 4 June, “the latest research on the amount of time that the COVID-19 virus remains potent on different kinds of surface” is addressed; and whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what assessment they have made of the latest scientific research on the amount of time that the COVID-19 virus remains potent on different kinds of surface; whether they will publish that assessment; and if so, when. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
The key conclusions on page one of the report Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Mitigating Measures reported that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is most strongly associated with close and prolonged contact, suggesting that close-range direct person-to-person transmission (droplets) and indirect contact transmission (via surfaces and objects) are the most important routes of transmission.
In the overview of modes of transmission from page two onwards, the report stated that transmission may also be influenced by environmental conditions. The virus is stable on surfaces and in air under laboratory conditions that simulate indoor environments. The virus survives better under colder, drier conditions with survival times of hours to days. Experiments under simulated sunlight suggests that high exposure to UV in outdoor environments will reduce the survival time to the order of minutes, however this will depend on the time of year and the cloud cover. The virus is not likely to survive for long periods of time on outdoor surfaces in sunlight, but it may survive for more than 24 hours in indoor environments.
No further assessment has been undertaken.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the data obtained so far from the Test and Trace programme and, in particular, what it shows about how people are contracting COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government to publish the reasons for developing a bespoke COVID-19 contact tracing application; whether they sought to collaborate with the developers of such applications in operation in other countries; if not, why not; and what lessons they have learned from the decision not to continue with their initial approach to the development of such an application.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We are working with other countries to exchange ideas and like the United Kingdom, many countries are working on solutions that best support their local systems while taking into account cultural and societal differences.
The challenges we have faced are not unique to us and have been experienced by a number of countries, including some who rolled out the app and then had to change their approach. It is only right that we test our approach and make sure we deliver a product that works.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to stockpile sufficient (1) personal protective equipment and (2) medical equipment and supplies, to cope with any second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
We are working to expand the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas and improve domestic manufacturing capability. We are expanding and improving the logistics network for delivering to the front line.
We are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of PPE to meet the needs of health and social care over the coming months.
As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department is working closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines and medical devices and equipment they need. Precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages, including management of demand.
The Department shares regular information about impending supply issues and management plans with the NHS via networks in primary and secondary care and will liaise with relevant patient groups about issues affecting specific medicines, medical devices and equipment.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the latest scientific research on the amount of time that the COVID-19 virus remains potent on different kinds of surface; whether they will publish that assessment; and if so, when. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) provides scientific advice to support United Kingdom decision-makers during emergencies.
The Environmental and Modelling Group presented its report Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Mitigating Measures to SAGE on 4 June 2020.
This report addresses the latest research on the amount of time that the COVID-19 virus remains potent on different kinds of surface and sets out 39 risk mitigation measures that are important in different circumstances based on the individual setting.
A copy of the report is attached.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by the Chief Executive of NHS Providers on 6 June about the Government’s introduction of new measures to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular that NHS Trust leaders (1) felt “completely in the dark” about "significant and complex" changes; (2) are asked to make operational changes with little notice; (3) are concerned that there is insufficient strategy and planning; and (4) felt that last-minute decisions are overly influenced by politics. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
We are committed to working closely with the National Health Service on the introduction of new measures to counter the COVID-19 pandemic and give as much advance notice as possible. However, this is a fast-moving situation and at times it has been necessary to introduce measures at short notice.