Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the covid-19 vaccination programme, whether GPs may invite adults for their second vaccination from six weeks after the first vaccination once all other adults in a local area have been offered their first vaccination in the event that GPs have a local surplus of vaccines.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
All adults are now eligible for their first dose. Currently, all adults aged 40 years old and over and those in phase one priority groups are offered a second dose within eight weeks of the first. Adults aged 18 to 39 years old not in a phase one priority group are offered a dose within 12 weeks of the first. Where a general practitioner has no patients available on their reserve list eligible for their first or second dose within the recommended timeframe and the doses would be wasted, they are able to administer a second dose ahead of the eight week interval.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
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 improve his Department's response times to correspondence from members of the public.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In April 2021, the Department’s central correspondence unit replied to 90.1% of correspondence from members of the public within 18 working days of receipt, achieving its target.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason GP practices in the South Northamptonshire constituency were not given notice of the roll out of flu vaccinations for the 50-64 year old age group; and whether he has made an assessment of the effect on GP switchboards' service of the volume of patient calls as a result of that matter.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Annual Flu Letter Update published on 5 August outlined the Government’s intention to extend the national flu programme to the 50–64 year old cohort with a proposed start date of November/December, following the prioritisation of at risk groups. General practitioners (GPs) were provided guidance on ordering extra supplies of vaccine from the central stock in October, which has since been updated with information on the 50-64 year old cohort.
The announcement on 20 November to begin the free vaccination of those aged 50-64 years old from 1 December was also included in the Primary Care Bulletin. It has allowed GPs and pharmacies the necessary time to order vaccines from the central stock procured by the Department and organise appointments.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the digital red book.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
NHSX is working with a number of suppliers to make digital versions of the red book available to parents of new-borns across England from 2021. The initial model will let parents choose from a number of assured products. Parents will have the option of a digital product, free of charge, to supplement their paper red book.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the recommendations of the Inter Ministerial Group on early years family support have been agreed by his Department; and what further steps he has taken to improve early years family support.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Early Years Family Support Ministerial Group has been considering how the Government can improve the coordination and cost-effectiveness of early years (conception to age two) family support and identify gaps in available provision. The group has made recommendations to Secretaries of State which they are now considering.