Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) improve the effectiveness of and (b) increase access to Covid-19 treatments for people with compromised immune systems.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Currently, immunocompromised patients, who form part of the high-risk cohort are a priority group eligible for receiving novel effective COVID-19 treatments within the community following a positive test. These treatments include both antiviral drugs and neutralising monoclonal antibodies which are available via COVID Medicines Delivery Units.
The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel has been established to review the patient cohorts which could be eligible for COVID-19 therapies. On 30 May 2022 the Department published an Independent Advisory Group report which revised the high-risk cohort and included additional groups of patients. As a result of these changes and improved identification by the National Health Service, the cohort of eligible patients has grown to an estimated 1.8 million patients in the United Kingdom.
Access to treatments could be extended further if evidence from clinical trials supports doing so. The PANORAMIC study which aims to improve understanding of the effectiveness antivirals in preventing hospitalisation and/or death in a largely vaccinated population. It will provide data for the NHS to determine which patient groups could benefit most from antiviral treatments.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the NHS on making the drug Evusheld available for treatment of people with compromised immune systems who are at risk of serious harm from covid-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is a decision based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency initiative, RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group in the National Health Service. These groups considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies and concluded there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend deployment. The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers are content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and agree that this should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.
The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on this decision and evidence considered. The letter summarised the evidence considered by RAPID C-19 which contributed to the decision not to procure and deploy Evusheld and detailed the next steps the Government will take. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce measures to allow people using commercially purchased covid-19 tests to register their results via the www.gov.uk website.
Answered by Maggie Throup
While we have no current plans to do so, we will keep the registration of privately purchased tests under review.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to create a national emergency helpline for mental health which is separate from the NHS 111 service.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
We have no plans to do so. Currently, all National Health Service mental health providers in England have 24 hours a day, seven days a week all-age urgent mental health helplines available, which provide access to trained mental health professionals for those experiencing a mental health crisis or those concerned for someone who may be experiencing such a crisis. By 2023/24, we aim to enable individuals to select a mental health option via NHS 111 to reach a local specialist NHS urgent mental health service.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include steps to improve survival rates for pancreatic cancer in his Department's forthcoming Ten Year Cancer Plan.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Officials are analysing response to call for evidence to inform the development of the 10 Year Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year. The Plan will address all types of cancer, including those which are rare and less survivable, such as pancreatic cancer.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that free covid-19 lateral flow tests continue to be available to people wishing to visit relatives in care homes after 1 April 2022.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The regular asymptomatic testing regime in adult social care from 1 April 2022 is currently under review. Until 1 April, testing for visitors to care homes should align with current guidance on testing in care homes. We will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether free covid-19 lateral flow tests will be made available to care home and hospital visitors after 1 April 2022.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The regular asymptomatic testing regime in care settings and hospitals after 1 April 2022 is currently under review. Testing for visitors to these settings should continue in line with the current guidance. We will set out further details on the future of asymptomatic lateral flow device testing in these settings in due course, including which groups will be eligible for tests after the provision of free testing for the general public ends.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people can visit relatives in hospitals in England.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We recognise the contribution that visiting makes to the wellbeing of patients. The Government and NHS England are clear that providers are expected and encouraged to facilitate visits wherever possible, and to do so in a way which manages the risks. Visiting policies are ordinarily at the discretion of local NHS Trusts and other NHS bodies, based on national principles, who will make their own assessment as to the visiting arrangements that can be in place given local prevalence of COVID-19 and the specific setup of their facilities. The national guidance encourages providers to actively find ways to ensure visiting can take place.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the elective recovery plan with details of meeting workforce requirements referred to in his oral evidence to the Health Select Committee, Clearing the backlog caused by the pandemic, HC 599, taken on 2 November 2021.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This will be published in due course.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to prioritise police officers for the covid-19 booster vaccine.
Answered by Maggie Throup
All adults over 18 years old are now eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine and the booster dose will now be given no sooner than three months after completion of the primary course. The booster vaccine is being offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in at-risk group. This includes all those aged over 16 years old with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19. Police officers will be invited for a booster dose according to their age and/or clinical risk. They are not currently prioritised according to their occupation.