Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS healthcare workers had received the (a) first and (b) second dose of the covid-19 vaccine by Wednesday 20 January 2021.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
This information is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many non-frontline workers in the NHS had received a (a) first dose and (b) second dose of the covid-19 vaccine by 5pm on 20 January 2021.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
This information is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific and medical advice that he received up to 1 April 2020 on the merits of antigen and antibody testing for covid-19.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
COVID-19 testing is core to the Government’s response to the virus, helping to provide care to those who need it, protect the most vulnerable and find new cases to help break the chains of transmission.
The Government continues to be guided by the latest expertise in this area and receives a range of scientific and medical advice, including from Public Health England (PHE) and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which have consistently advised on the importance of testing. SAGE meeting minutes are published on GOV.UK.
Assessments of the various antibody testing assays, including those now in use were performed by PHE, are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-laboratory-evaluations-of-serological-assays
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department is undertaking on first episode psychosis and the long-term effect of anti-psychotic drugs.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is the largest funder of mental health research in the United Kingdom, investing £93.4 million in 2018/19.
Through this investment the NIHR supports a wide portfolio of mental health research, including 21 current awards funded directly through NIHR programmes for research on first-episode psychosis and the effects of anti-psychotic drugs and three new awards due to start in 2020/21 totalling an investment of £30.7 million in these important areas. The NIHR is also providing infrastructure support to over 50 studies through its biomedical research centres, clinical research facilities and applied research centres.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which mental health conditions can be subject to a Community Treatment Order.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Any mental disorder for which someone can be detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA) can also form the basis of a Community Treatment Order (CTO).
The Mental Health Act 1983 makes no distinction between types of mental illness, stating that for its purposes, the general term “mental disorder” means “any disorder or disability of the mind”. While the MHA does not rule in or out particular disorders, learning disability as a condition is exempted from certain provisions of the Act, including that for CTOs, unless “associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct”.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people have been given compulsory Community Treatment Orders following first episode psychosis in each of the last three years.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has of the availability of the dry-eye medication Lacrilube; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department fully understands that maintaining access to dry eye medications is vitally important to many people in this country.
We are aware that, due to long term manufacturing issues experienced by the sole supplier, Lacri-Lube Eye ointment has not been available since 2018.
We have liaised with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists who has issued advice for clinicians regarding suitable alternative treatments to manage affected patients during this time. We have also communicated the supply issue with the National Health Service and supplies of Lacri-Lube are expected to become available at the end of this year.
We continue to work closely with industry and partners in the health system to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply issues do arise.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether medical doctors arriving from abroad to work in the UK may avoid having to quarantine for 14 days by submitting to a test for covid-19 antigens.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020 include an exemption for registered healthcare professionals from the requirement to quarantine, if they are required to return to, or start work within 14 days of arrival in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has changed the method by which it calculates the number of covid-19 tests carried out in a 24-hour period, since 1 April 2020.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
As the United Kingdom COVID-19 testing programme has significantly increased through April and May, we have adapted our reporting processes to ensure they remain as accurate as possible.
Further detail, including definitions and published data, can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the advice that he received before 1 April 2020 on the development of herd immunity for covid-19.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Herd immunity has never been part of the Government action plan, but it is a natural by-product of an epidemic. Our aims are to save lives, protect the most vulnerable, and relieve pressure on the National Health Service. Every measure that we have or will introduce will be based on the best scientific evidence. None of our measures are aimed at generating herd immunity but we must be aware of the likely levels of immunity in the country over the coming months, to ensure our planning and response is as accurate and effective as possible.