Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue new guidance on the admittance of patients at an earlier stage of showing symptoms of COVID-19 to improve survival rates.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government continues to be led by the evidence in our response to COVID-19. Public Health England has published guidance on the investigation and initial clinical management of possible COVID-19 cases, including on admission to hospital, which is kept under review. A copy of the latest guidance COVID-19: investigation and initial clinical management of possible cases is attached.
In addition, a suite of guidance has been published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to ensure the best treatment for people with COVID-19.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that care homes have had to accept patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 from hospitals, and (2) the impact any such patients have had on deaths from COVID-19 in care homes. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
The safety of residents and staff is always a priority and patients should not be discharged unless it is clinically safe to do so.
We are determined to make sure discharges into nursing or social care do not put residents currently in those settings at risk. We have introduced a policy of testing all residents prior to discharge to a care home.
If appropriate isolation or cohorted care for an individual is not available with a local care provider on discharge, the individual’s local authority has been asked to secure alternative appropriate accommodation and care for the remainder of the required isolation period.
We are continuing to monitor care home deaths and are working closely with local authorities, the care sector and NHS England to understand the impact of COVID-19 on care homes and ensure everyone has access to the right care, in the most appropriate setting for their needs.
This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we will continue to work closely with the sector to keep our policies and data under review as the pandemic goes on.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in care and nursing homes in the UK; and over what period that testing took place.[T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 125,000 workers in care settings and over 118,000 care home residents have been tested through Departmental and Public Health England’s testing routes.
On 11 May we launched the ‘whole care home’ portal. We have the capacity to deliver up to 30,000 tests a day to residents and staff in care homes, making sure that all residents and asymptomatic staff can all be tested.
This information is for England only and supplements the local systems already in place for testing residents. We are working with the devolved administrations to support their needs around adult social care testing.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - 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 6 April (HL2662), what assessment they have made of the particular vulnerability of hay fever and asthma sufferers to COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
At present there is insufficient evidence to determine whether there is any particular vulnerability of hay fever and asthma sufferers to COVID-19.
The British Thoracic Society’s Advice for Healthcare Professionals Treating People with Asthma (adults) in relation to COVID-19 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline: severe asthma, recommend that patients should continue taking their regular medications in line with their personalised asthma action plan. Some patients with severe asthma have been identified as being potentially extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 and been placed in the shielding group.
With regards to hay fever, the Global Initiative for Asthma and the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma organisation recommend that people with allergic rhinitis should continue to take their nasal corticosteroids, as prescribed by their healthcare professional.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much personal protection equipment NHS England has (1) purchased, and (2) supplied, to frontline NHS staff in the last four weeks.
Answered by Lord Bethell
As of 14 April, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak we have delivered over 923 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to 58,000 different health and care settings including National Health Service trusts, general practitioners, pharmacies and community providers. We have provided PPE equipment to over 26,000 care homes including home care and hospices across the country. Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, over 48 million PPE items have been delivered.
We are working around the clock to give the NHS and the wider social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak. We have brought together the NHS, industry and the Armed Forces to create a new nationwide PPE distribution network, delivering critical PPE supplies to those who need it.
We have a 24 hours a day, seven days a week helpline for those experiencing supply disruption with business as usual ordering channels. Where there may be any shortages, we act on this immediately. Local Resilience Forums are also supporting care homes, hospices, home care and primary care in getting hold of PPE equipment.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to establish a centralised disease control centre, similar to the National Heath Command Centre in Taiwan.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department has a dedicated COVID-19 incident response team, set up in January 2020, which works closely with the National Health Service and Public Health England to co-ordinate central Government’s response to the virus.