Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average rate of pay of a qualified nurse with ten years experience in (1) 2010, and (2) 2020; and if adjusted for the purchasing value of the pound, what would be the percentage change in remuneration since 2010.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In June 2010, basic pay, not including any additional earnings, for a newly qualified nurse at the bottom of Band 5, on a full-time equivalent basis (FTE), was £21,176.
We can estimate that, for nurses still working in the Hospital and Community Health Sector (HCHS) in June 2020, average basic pay per FTE was £34,216. This is a nominal increase of 61.6% and reflects pay awards; progression up pay scales within pay bands, promotion to more senior roles in higher pay bands and the effects of the Agenda for Change multi-year pay and contract reform deal (2018/19-2020/21). After accounting for consumer price index inflation this is a real terms increase of 33.2%.
Nurses can also earn premium rates of pay for working during unsocial hours or through agreed overtime. The NHS reward package also includes a generous annual leave allowance and access to a much-valued pension scheme.
These estimates are derived from unvalidated data from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse. This is a monthly snapshot of the live ESR system, which is the HR and payroll system for the HCHS sector in England. It does not cover those working in general practice, social care or the independent sector and one NHS foundation trust that has chosen to not use the system.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals by the Welsh Government to impose a ban on those travelling from areas in the UK with a high prevalence of COVID-19 to Wales.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In England, until 2 December, people must stay at home, except for specific purposes. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and we are working closely with the devolved administrations to provide clarity to citizens in all parts of the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the health needs of people with no fixed abode (1) are considered, and (2) are facilitated, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Homeless people and people who experience rough sleeping are at increased vulnerability to severe illness from COVID-19. The Department, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working closely since the start of the pandemic to provide leadership and support to local authority public health teams and the National Health Service around homelessness and COVID-19 related priorities. This has included advice and guidance to the system on responding to the multiple health needs (substance misuse, mental and physical health) of the population during the ‘Everyone In’ phase, advice on testing of asymptomatic homeless people as part of their accommodation move on plans and access to the right care and support including registering with a general practitioner, access to mental health and substance misuse services. The Department, PHE and NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to prioritise a joined-up health response for this population.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes they have made to their (1) policies, and (2) practice, relating to (a) sourcing personal protective equipment, and (b) the methodology used to assess need and stockpile reserves of such equipment, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have significantly strengthened and diversified our supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE) – looking to new suppliers abroad as well as boosting our domestic manufacturing capability. This has helped to build resilience into the future.
Thanks to the unprecedented domestic production of PPE, for items such gowns and FFP3 facemasks, by December, supply of PPE through United Kingdom manufacturers will provide 70% of the amount we expect to use from December to March, for all items except gloves. Before the pandemic, just 1% of PPE was produced in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish any correspondence with the Welsh Government relating to the cancellation by Roche Diagnostics of orders for supplies relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The response to COVID-19 is a national effort and we are committed to working closely with the devolved administrations to align and coordinate testing efforts, where possible. This includes ensuring Wales receives its fair share of proprietary test kits.
We do not recognise the claim that there were any cancellations of orders placed with Roche by the Welsh Government. The arrangement with Roche was designed as a whole United Kingdom approach, and individual orders from devolved administrations would not be accepted on this basis.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times people resident in England have been sent to testing centres in Wales for COVID-19 tests because of inadequate capacity in England.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government does not publish this data in the format requested. We have always had an agreement with the devolved administrations that allows people to cross borders if it is more convenient for them in their circumstances.
We are increasing our number of testing sites to 500 by the end of October; improving our service so no one will be sent further than 75 miles, and introducing clear messaging that testing is for those who have symptoms, or have been told to get a test by a clinician or local authority.