Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
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 ensure people (a) aged over 75 and (b) aged over 75 who require disabled access are able to access local covid-19 booster vaccinations.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There are many vaccination sites available to help ensure that people aged over 75 years old and those who require disabled access can receive COVID-19 booster vaccinations in a convenient way. Flexible delivery models such walk-in and mobile vaccination clinics are available to increase access and convenience of the vaccination offer for everyone eligible. NHS England continue to do everything to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccination is convenient and easy for all who are eligible, including offering home vaccinations to those who are housebound.
The National Booking Service and 119 telephone service allows people to communicate access requirements to find a vaccination site which meets their needs.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
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 for people aged over 75 to receive their covid-19 booster vaccination at their GP surgery.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department’s policy is to work with NHS England to ensure that COVID-19 booster vaccination is provided in a way that is accessible as possible and tailored to local needs. Therefore, NHS Regional teams commission their vaccination delivery network with their system colleagues to meet the needs of their local population.
COVID-19 vaccines require specialised transportation and handling once it has been despatched and needs to be used within short space of time. Some general practitioner surgeries do not have the facilities to either store or administer COVID-19 vaccines and it is very important that we minimise unnecessary wastage.
We continue to do everything to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccination is convenient and easy for all who are eligible within possible means.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of vaping on public transport on public health; and if he will take steps to further investigate this matter.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We have not made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of vaping on public transport and public health. To date, there is no evidence of health risks of passive vaping by bystanders and therefore we do not intend to investigate this matter further.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the National Autistic Society about the support his Department provides for autistic people.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department ensures that the voices of national charities, including the National Autistic Society (NAS), are included in the formation of policy and decision-making processes, including through representation in our governance and delivery arrangements.
I met with autism charity representatives, including from the National Autistic Society, on 24 January 2023, to discuss the national autism strategy and plans for future implementation.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a review of (a) autism services and (b) their effectiveness.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There are no current plans to make this specific assessment. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population and we expect ICBs to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on autism.
NHS England publish quarterly data on how many people are waiting for an autism assessment, and for how long, by local area. The data provides useful information to support local areas to identify local demand and adequacy of services.
Workforce leads within NHS England are working to understand the gap in the specialist autism workforce. Additionally, NHS England’s recently published national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services will help the National Health Service and local authorities improve their autism assessment services and improve the experience for adults and children who are referred to an autism assessment service.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to consult autistic people on (a) the support that they receive and (b) its effect on their lives.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department is committed to ensuring autistic people are involved in the formation of policy and decision-making processes. To inform the development of the latest national autism strategy, published July 2021, we ran a national call for evidence where we engaged with autistic people and their families and sought their personal experiences and views.
This year, we are updating the Statutory Guidance on Autism to support the National Health Service and local authorities to deliver improved outcomes for autistic people. There will be a public consultation on this guidance, which will include giving autistic people, their families, and carers the opportunity to give their views.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of using alternatives to restraint, segregation and seclusion in healthcare settings.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Under the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018, all mental health unit staff must receive appropriate training in use of force which includes restraint, segregation and seclusion. Statutory guidance on the use of force in mental health settings sets out what this training should cover, including the use of techniques for avoiding or reducing the use of force, for example, preventative approaches, the use of individualised de-escalation techniques, conflict avoidance and resolution, and staff clinical supervision, reflective practice and mentoring.
The Restraint Reduction Network has worked with Health Education England to produce a set of ethical training standards that protect human rights and support the minimisation of restrictive practices. From April 2022, the Care Quality Commission expects services across health and social care to have certified training that complies with the Network’s training standards.
The Act also requires mental health units to publish a policy regarding the use of force by staff who work in that unit, setting out the steps the unit is taking to reduce and minimise the use of force. Mental health units must record and publish use of force statistics provide information for patients about their rights in relation to the use of force by staff.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Care Quality Commission's review entitled Out of sight – who cares?, published in October 2020, what steps his Department is taking to respond to that report's recommendations.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We welcomed the publication of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on the use of restraint, seclusion and segregation and published our response in July 2021, in which we accepted in full or in principle all recommendations for the Department. We are focused on ensuring all patients, including people with a learning disability and autistic people, receive safe and high-quality care.
In response to the recommendations made in the report, we have taken several actions including undertaking independent case reviews and introducing a Senior Intervenor pilot to help move individuals in the most restrictive settings towards discharge. We are carefully considering the outcomes of these programmes to inform our ongoing work.
We have also introduced the Use of Force Act which includes measures to both reduce the inappropriate use of force and to ensure accountability and transparency about the use of force in mental health units.
The CQC report recommended improved community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people and single Ministerial ownership of the actions taken. We published the Building the Right Support Action Plan in July 2022, which sets out actions to improve community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Progress is overseen by a cross-system, cross-Government Delivery Board, established to bring together all partners who can make change happen.
The draft Mental Health Bill, published on 27 June 2022, sets out our proposed reforms to help improve support for people with a learning disability and autistic people. As part of this work, we have committed to updating the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, including reviewing the definition of long-term segregation.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to extend the offer of two Covid-19 vaccinations to people aged five on or before 31 August 2022 and over beyond 30 June 2023.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations. On 27 January 2023 the Government accepted the advice of the JCVI that the primary course vaccination offer move to a more targeted offer during vaccination campaigns to those at higher risk of severe COVID-19. Therefore, the primary course offer will end with the close of the 2023 spring booster programme, planned for 30 June 2023 in England.
As we live with the virus without restrictions on our freedoms, we will continue to ensure the most vulnerable are protected through a targeted seasonal vaccination offer for those most at risk. At this time the Department does not have plans to extend the offer of two COVID-19 vaccinations to children aged five years old on or before 31 August 2022 and over beyond 30 June 2023. However, an offer will remain in place for those who are at higher risk of COVID-19 and we will continue to be guided by the JCVI on future eligibility.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of NHS audiology appointments outsourced to private companies.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Hearing services are locally commissioned and any outsourced provisions data is held by local National Health Service commissioners.