Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of specialist homeless health services across the NHS; and what plans they have to commission more of these services.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Most specialist homeless health services are commissioned locally which enables local areas to tailor services to the needs of their population. The National Health Service committed up to £30 million from 2019 to 2024 through the NHS Long Term Plan to establish new specialist mental health provision to improve the health of homeless people. Additionally, the we have provided £16 million for specialist out of hospital care services with support from discharge and beyond.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with (1) carers’ unions, and (2) other bodies representing carers, before taking the decision to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for those working as carers.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department consulted on making vaccination a condition of deployment in older adult care homes from 14 April to 26 May 2021 and received more than 13,500 consultation responses. The Department also conducted extensive engagement, including meeting with organisations representing paid and unpaid carers, and with individuals with lived experience of care. These discussions have formed a crucial part of our policy development.
Regulations were laid on 22 June to make vaccination a condition of entry in all Care Quality Commission-regulated care homes. Exemptions apply to service users and their friends or relatives; those under 18 years old; those providing emergency assistance or urgent maintenance work; those visiting service users who are dying or experiencing bereavement; and individuals who should not be vaccinated for clinical reasons.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming Health and Social Care Bill will make provision relating to unpaid carers.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We recognise the vital role all unpaid carers play, especially during this difficult period and are committed to supporting carers to provide care as they would wish, and to do so in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing and other life chances.
The Health and Social Care Bill provides an opportunity to create a health and care system that is more accountable and responsive to the people that use it. We are committed to ensuring that the voices of unpaid carers and those who access care and support are properly embedded in the design and development of Integrated Care Systems.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they will provide to people suffering from long-Covid after the pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We are working with the National Health Service and wider scientific community to better understand the long-lasting effects of COVID-19 infection, including symptom severity, symptom duration and how best to support recovery. Over £30 million of funding has already been committed to ‘long’ COVID-19 research projects and a further £20 million is available for an additional research call announced on 25 March 2021.
Specialist NHS ‘long’ COVID-19 assessment services have opened across England and NHS England and NHS Improvement have announced that more than 80 clinics will be open by the end of April 2021.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns raised by recipients of the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine about the Government's decision to extend the time between the administration of the first and second doses of the vaccine; what steps they are taking to assure recipients of the first dose of its efficacy; and what plans they have to publish guidance about the efficacy level of a single dose.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public confidence in the vaccine programme is of paramount importance. The Government will continue to provide clear and regular updates to the public on progress and the impact of the programme, including publishing evidence on the effectiveness of the vaccines and data on adverse reactions to the vaccines.
Public Health England (PHE) has been monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccines, including the effects of dosage schedules. NHS England regularly publishes guidance and runs public information campaigns on the vaccines, to ensure the public is fully aware and informed. Data from PHE’s SIREN study shows that both available vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca, provide high protection against COVID-19 infections after a single dose, beyond 56 days of having been vaccinated. A copy of Public Health England’s Annex A: Report to JCVI on estimated efficacy of a single dose of Pfizer BioNTech (BNT162b2 mRNA) vaccine and of a single dose of ChAdOx1 vaccine (AZD1222) is attached.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that elderly recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine do not have to travel excessive distances to receive such a vaccine.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In England, more than 98% of the population are currently within 10 miles of a vaccine service. In a small number of highly rural areas, the vaccination centre will be a mobile unit. Local vaccination services can also coordinate and deliver vaccination to people who are unable to attend a vaccination site, including visiting care homes, residential facilities for people with learning disabilities or autism, prisons, the homes of housebound individuals, and to reach vulnerable groups such as those who are experiencing homelessness. In England, the latest data from 2 April shows that a total of 1,791 vaccination sites have now been established.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister on 8 July 2020 (HC Deb, col 964) that they will “invest massively in our care homes and in our care workers”, and further to the judgment in Royal Mencap Society (Respondent) v Tomlinson-Blake (Appellant) [2021] UKSC 8, what plans they have to legislate to provide that care workers are paid at least the national minimum wage for the entirety of a sleep-in shift.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Supreme Court has upheld the Court of Appeal judgment. Workers on ‘sleep-in’ shifts are entitled to the minimum wage for the time they are awake for the purpose of working.
The Government is considering the implications of the judgement with care commissioners and providers to consider what action, if any, is needed. We therefore have no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend National Minimum Wage regulations at this time.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the publication of the social care green paper has been delayed since March 2017; whether that paper remains a Government priority; if not, why not; and when they estimate that paper to be published.
Answered by Lord Bethell
During the pandemic, the Government’s priority for adult social care is to ensure that people get the care they need and are protected from COVID-19. We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.