Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for his Department to issue clear guidance on the prioritisation and coordination of covid-19 booster doses for immunocompromised people alongside booster doses for all 18 to 39 year olds and second doses for those aged 12 to 15 years.
Answered by Maggie Throup
On 29 November 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation updated its COVID-19 vaccination advice in response to the Omicron variant. The advice stated that all those aged 18 years old or over should be eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine; 12 to 15 year olds should be eligible for two doses; and that those with severe immunosuppression should be eligible for a fourth dose as a booster.
NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance to all systems regarding the next steps of vaccine deployment. This guidance stated the need to continue to prioritise the severely immunosuppressed and also asked all systems to create additional capacity for those aged over 18 years old to receive their booster and to ensure that eligible children are able to access vaccination. It was published on 13 December 2021 and is available at the following link:
The National Health Service opened bookings for 12 to 15 year olds to receive a second dose on 20 December 2021.
A letter was sent to NHS systems and vaccination services on 25 January 2022 with further information on COVID-19 vaccination for those who are immunocompromised. This advised how eligible people should be contacted, provided a letter template for the referral for a fourth dose and frequently asked questions regarding vaccination and immunosuppression.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of offering antibody tests to people who are immunocompromised and suppressed, who are unsure whether or not they have generated an immune response to the covid-19 vaccines, or whether they remain immunologically vulnerable and need to shield.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There are no imminent plans to implement targeted antibody testing for immunocompromised patients. National Health Service clinicians can arrange antibody testing for patients based on their assessment of clinical need. Those with a cancer diagnosis may also be able to access free antibody tests through the National Cancer COVID Survey, which aims to assess levels of protection conferred by antibodies following vaccination or infection in cancer patients.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of NHS statistics showing that the number of people treated for malnutrition increased from 4,657 in 2010-11 to 10,109 in 2020-21.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We have made no specific assessment.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will increase (a) its policy focus on and (b) the funding allocated to tackling malnutrition in Integrated Care Systems.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Each integrated care board (ICB) will be required to establish an integrated care partnership, which will be responsible for developing a plan to address identified health, social care and public health needs. Many of the duties which previously applied for clinical commissioning groups will apply to ICBs, which may include issues relating to health inequalities such as malnutrition. Each ICB will be allocated funding and will decide how to allocate its resources appropriately.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will produce guidance on how Integrated Care Partnerships can improve services for people at risk of malnutrition through improved partnerships, joint working, and improved planning of services.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We have no current plans to do so.
Integrated care partnerships will work collaboratively to coordinate health and care services, to improve population health and reduce inequalities.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 38398 on 6 September 2021 on Hepatitis: Disease Control, if he will make it his policy to support NHS England and Improvement’s goal to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2025.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Government is supporting NHS England and NHS Improvement to deliver the hepatitis C elimination programme in England and the goal to eliminate hepatitis C by 2025.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
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 publicise the ongoing risk of covid-19 to immunocompromised groups to (a) patients with those conditions and (b) the wider public.
Answered by Maggie Throup
On 6 December we updated the online guidance ‘Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread’, which advises that immunocompromised individuals should take advice from their health professional on whether additional precautions are necessary to minimise their risk of infection.
On 1 September 2021, the Government accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to offer a third primary dose of vaccine to individuals aged 12 years old and over with severe immunosuppression, as a precautionary measure. A specialist or clinician involved should advise on whether a patient fulfils the eligibility criteria for severe immunosuppression and on the timing of any third primary. NHS England and NHS Improvement have developed tailored communications for specialists caring for each group of eligible patients within the severely immunosuppressed cohort. This includes template referral letters for clinicians to signpost patients appropriately to receive this vaccination.
On 29 November 2021, in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant, the Government accepted advice from JCVI to offer a booster as a fourth dose to severely immunosuppressed individuals who have completed their primary course of three doses. NHS England and NHS Improvement is currently updating its guidance on the vaccination of these patients.
Immunocompromised individuals are also a priority cohort for therapeutic treatments, such as monoclonal antibody therapies and novel antivirals which reduce the risk of hospitalisations and deaths. These novel treatments may be used to treat immune-deficient and immune-suppressed people in the United Kingdom who are at an increased risk of illness and death after contracting COVID-19. We plan to make treatments directly available to the highest risk groups, including those who are immunocompromised.
We will continue to assess the risks posed by COVID-19 and take proportionate measures to protect immunocompromised individuals. We are ensuring that the risks and the measures taken are communicated effectively to those patients affected, their carers, clinicians and representative groups and the wider public.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances consultation on standard adult ready-to-drink oral nutritional supplements will report and publish interim conclusions.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) is independent of the Government. The ACBS has not informed the Department when it will publish its conclusions.