Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make the UK a global leader in addressing brain tumours.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) is a national convening body of stakeholder organisations established in February 2018 to take forward Baroness Jowell’s requests to improve research and care for people with brain cancer. The Department is an active contributor, including the announcement in May 2018 of £40 million over five years for brain tumour research via the National Institute for Health Research.
TJBCM is about to launch a major initiative to designate within the National Health Service the first Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence. These will comprise a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres which provide optimal care, share freely best practice standards, rapidly translate research knowledge into patient benefit, and thereby provide patients with access to the very best treatment.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of funding for hospices.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department recognises that the hospice sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that subsequent social distancing measures have affected some aspects of community fundraising. We regularly assess the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector and through NHS England and NHS Improvement are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they face. A range of steps have been taken to support hospices.
We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by Her Majesty’s Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan.
We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the future sustainability of the hospice sector.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department recognises that the hospice sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that subsequent social distancing measures have affected some aspects of community fundraising. We regularly assess the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector and through NHS England and NHS Improvement are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they face. A range of steps have been taken to support hospices.
We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by Her Majesty’s Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan.
We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional funding they plan to allocate to (1)hospice, and (2) palliative, care services in the next five years.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department recognises that the hospice sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that subsequent social distancing measures have affected some aspects of community fundraising. We regularly assess the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector and through NHS England and NHS Improvement are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they face. A range of steps have been taken to support hospices.
We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by Her Majesty’s Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan.
We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reclaim monies paid to private sector companies involved in COVID-19 test and trace projects which have failed.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Performance and quality assurance standards and processes are included in all Government contracts. If the company does not meet required service levels, the contracts may be terminated and only receipted goods and services will be paid for.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to prevent ambulances from being unable to access Gloucester Royal Hospital Accident and Emergency Department due to congestion; and what plans they have to reopen Cheltenham General Hospital Accident and Emergency Department to ease ambulance congestion at Gloucester Royal Hospital.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust continues to manage combined pandemic and urgent care pressures. The Trust is not aware of traffic congestion causing delays in ambulance access.
The temporary closure of the accident and emergency department at Cheltenham General Hospital was agreed until 31 March 2021, when services are planned to resume.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - 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 a suspect, accompanied by police officers, was required to wait three hours for treatment at Gloucester Royal Hospital; and what discussions they have had with Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to ensure such incidents do not reoccur.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Patients are treated in order of clinical priority. Therefore, whilst there is a need to not delay police officers in accident and emergency departments (A&E) any longer than is necessary, patients with non-urgent needs may have to wait during busy times.
The national A&E performance target is target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. Therefore, a three hour wait is within the national guidelines.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients awaiting transfer to wards have died in (1) corridors, (2) nurses’ stations, and (3) cubicles, at Gloucester Royal Hospital in the last six months.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The information is not available in format requested.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK students can travel abroad to undertake essential voluntary work under current COVID-19 restrictions provided that they self-isolate upon return; whether they intend to publish advice on that issue; and, if so, when.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Students can travel abroad to undertake paid or unpaid work which includes volunteering. If students do travel overseas, they should consider the restrictions on entry to the country in question, such as whether they would need to undertake a period of self-isolation in that country, and whether they would need to self-isolate when they return. Returning students travelling from countries not on the exemption list will need to self-isolate in their accommodation for 14 days.
Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Based on where a person lives, these rules must be followed.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial viability of the hospice sector.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by HM Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan. Charities, alongside other sectors, can also access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the replacement Job Support Scheme.
We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.