Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out any estimate of how many appointments annually are requested for doctors to approve sickness absences for periods of less than three days; and whether they have reviewed the requirement for doctors to authorise such sickness absences to in order to reduce workloads for doctors.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
A statement of fitness for work, commonly known as a fit note or ‘med 3’, is a form of medical evidence that can enable an individual to access health-related benefits or evidence eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay. Healthcare professionals cannot issue fit notes during the first seven calendar days of sickness absence as employees can self-certify for this time.
We have made several changes to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for general practitioners to free up time for appointments. This includes expanding the range of healthcare professionals who can sign fit notes and publishing the bureaucracy busting concordat, setting out seven principles to reduce unnecessary burdens in general practice in consultation with Royal College of General Practice and the British Medical Association.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to support the NHS by (1) outsourcing the recruitment of nurses and doctors to medical institutions in India, and (2) increased investment in private diagnostic centres and clinics; and what assessment they have made of whether their current policies would be in line with such approaches.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to outsource the recruitment of nurses and doctors to medical institutions in India. The National Health Service recruits a significant number of nurses from India and we have recently updated the code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England to ensure recruitment is conducted ethically. Decisions on investment in private sector healthcare capacity, including diagnostics, are made by individual NHS organisations.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they will provide to local authorities to support them with the (1) financing, and (2) provision, of (a) adult social care services, (b) public health services, including access to specialist trauma counselling, and (c) other general public services.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available an additional £3.7 billion to councils for 2022/23. This will enable councils to deliver key services, including adult social care and other general public services. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced as local authorities are best placed to understand local priorities.
Public health services commissioned by local authorities in England are funded through the ring-fenced Public Health Grant. The 2021 Spending Review confirmed that the Public Health Grant will increase in each of the next three years. In 2022/23, each local authority will receive a 2.81% increase, with total funding reaching £3.417 billion. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities offers advice and support to authorities on the services that best meet the needs of their local populations. In addition, the Department funds the Local Government Association to provide peer support to local authorities through a sector-led improvement programme.
Access to specialist trauma counselling is available from the National Health Service from a range of providers according to clinical need.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether prohibiting a British resident overseas to travel to be with close family is in accordance with (1) domestic, and (2) international, human rights provisions.
Answered by Lord Bethell
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why a UK citizen officially resident in the European Union is not permitted to travel from the UK under COVID-19 regulations to be united with close family, but close family members are permitted to travel to the UK for this purpose.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A United Kingdom citizen who is officially resident in the European Union and who is in England temporarily would have a reasonable excuse to leave the UK, including where they are travelling to be reunited with close family.
Travel to the UK is not permitted if an individual has visited or passed through a country where travel to the UK is banned in the last 10 days, unless they are a British national, an Irish national or anyone with residence rights in the UK. This system allows those who live in the UK to return to their home country but manages the risk of importing new COVID-19 cases.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK citizens who are resident abroad are permitted (1) to enter, and (2) to leave, the UK while the restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic are in place.
Answered by Lord Bethell
For those seeking to enter the United Kingdom, from countries where an international travel ban has been imposed, they will be required to quarantine for ten days in a managed quarantine facility. These new measures are for those who cannot be denied entry to the UK from travel ban countries including returning British and Irish nationals, visa holders and permanent residents. All other international arrivals must quarantine at home and take the mandatory tests.
For those looking to leave the UK, it is illegal to travel abroad without a legally permitted reason to do so. The legally permitted reasons include to carry out work that cannot be done from home, for medical appointments and for educational reason. Anyone choosing to travel should consider the public health advice in the country they are visiting.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require local authorities to maintain stockpiles of personal protection equipment.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government is not requiring local authorities to maintain stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE). Nevertheless, on 14 August the Department wrote to local resilience forums (LRFs) to advise on the management of COVID-19 stockpiles of PPE. The majority of LRFs have now been provided with stockpile deliveries of PPE. This will help create local reserves that can be used to manage any temporary increases in demand associated with any potential COVID-19 spike, winter pressures or any other temporary issues with distribution mechanisms. In the case where an LRF uses over 30% of its stock of any PPE item from their stockpile, the Department will arrange further deliveries from centrally managed supplies.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 tests have been conducted at UK airports since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government does not publish data in the format requested.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassess the UK’s relationship with the World Health Organization after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The United Kingdom continues to have a strong and committed relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), who have an important role to play in leading the global health response to coronavirus, and works closely with them at country, regional and global levels. The UK is currently the second largest member state donor to WHO and has already contributed £75 million to help WHO lead the international efforts to stop the spread of the virus. The Prime Minister has now announced at the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September £340 million in new core funding to be given to the organisation over the next four years.
We have long been an advocate of reform in the WHO to ensure it is flexible and responsive, including able to respond as quickly and effectively as possible to global health emergencies, and we will continue to be so.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the timely identification of lessons to be learnt from their approach to the COVID-19 pandemic which do not assign blame would help in better addressing a possible second wave of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
COVID-19 is the biggest challenge that the United Kingdom, together with nations around the world, has faced in decades. The Government has always been clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of the response to COVID-19. As the Prime Minister has said, this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time.
To prepare the National Health Service for winter, the Government is providing an additional £3 billion of funding. This includes funding to allow the NHS to maintain the Nightingale surge capacity and continue to use the extra hospital capacity available within the independent sector.
Effective local management of any outbreaks is the first line of protection against a second wave that might overwhelm the NHS. To support local authorities, we made £300 million available and they already have robust plans in place to respond to outbreaks.
NHS winter preparations include delivering a very significantly expanded seasonal flu vaccination programme for priority groups.