Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care settings have applied for covid-19 tests through the gov.uk online portal in (a) the North West, (b) Liverpool City Region, (c) Wirral, (d) Wallasey, (e) the South East and (f) London.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We do not hold data in this format.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many positive covid-19 test results have been recorded from tests completed by mobile testing units based in (a) Wirral and (b) Wallasey.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We do not publish data by individual mobile testing units.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the maximum number of covid-19 tests is that can be completed per day by mobile covid-19 testing units in Wallasey.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We do not publish data by individual mobile testing units. All our mobile testing units currently have the capacity to process up to 500 tests a day.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 tests have been (a) administered in person and (b) posted out to care homes in (i) Wirral and (ii) Wallasey; and how many of those tests posted out have been returned.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We do not hold data in this format.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Wirral Council on the implementation of the test and trace system for covid-19.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has appointed Minister Nadine Dorries to lead on engagement with local authorities, alongside Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds Council.
We have met with local authorities multiple times. Tom Riordan has held three calls with all local authority leaders, Chief Executives and Directors of Public Health, to which those from Wirral were invited to take part and ask questions. We also attend a Local Outbreak Planning National Advisory Board, chaired by the Chairman of the Local Government Association.
This is in addition to two calls with Local Resilience Forum (LRF) chairs, including representatives from Merseyside Resilience forum, the LRF that covers the Wirral.
We are looking to continue engaging regularly with all councils, including the Wirral.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the average mortality rate for covid-19 per 100,000 people is higher in Wirral than the average mortality rate in (a) North West of England and (b) the UK.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The variation in incidence and mortality rates between national, regional and upper tier local authority level is influenced by a range of factors including the epidemiology of the disease and risk factors such as demography and behaviour. Other local factors causing variability in the number of tests carried out can also affect the observed mortality rates. These factors include the number of people accessing testing, and the number of tests that are carried out in the investigation and control of local incidents and outbreaks.
Public Health England has published a rapid review to better understand how different factors such as ethnicity, deprivation, age, gender and obesity can impact on how people are affected by COVID-19. The Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 review can be viewed on the GOV.UK website at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is for doctors who are contacted by the covid-19 contact tracers; and whether other healthcare professionals working in the same hospital will have to quarantine for 14 days in the event of such a contact.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
People identified by NHS Test and Trace as having been in close contact with someone who has a positive test must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to minimise the risk that they unknowingly spread the virus. Only those who have had close, recent contact with someone who tests positive will be asked to self-isolate.
If someone who works in – or has recently visited – a health or social care setting, tests positive for COVID-19, their case will be escalated to local public health experts, who will liaise with the relevant setting to agree on the most appropriate action. If they were wearing appropriate personal protective equipment as part of their professional duties at the time of the contact, this will not count as a contact.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
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 ensure that contact tracers for covid-19 have adequate training to appropriately deal with people with mental health issues and vulnerable adults.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
All staff involved in contact tracing are required to undergo appropriate levels of accredited safeguarding training modules for adults and children.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contact tracers for covid-19 there are in (a) the North West, (b) Liverpool City Region, (c) Wirral and (d) Wallasey.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Contract tracing is delivered through partnerships between Public Health England, NHS Professionals and commercial call handling companies, and the local authorities. The public health workforce for each local authority is a matter for them to determine and this varies according to the size of each authority.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department has send replies to letters from Honorable Members from civil servants; and whether those letters were been seen by a Minister in his department before they are issued.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with approximately 22,000 cases received since the beginning of March, a threefold increase in cases compared to the same period last year.
The Department ensures that urgent cases raised by Members are prioritised and has taken steps to provide substantive responses in as short a time as possible.
All lines used to respond to correspondence are provided by the Department’s policy teams and the Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiry unit has daily contact with Ministers’ private offices. As a temporary measure, officials are sending replies with commonly used lines in line with Cabinet Office guidance.