Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the email correspondence from the hon. Member for Sefton Central sent on 7 March 2023.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We have received your letter of 7 March 2023 and will respond shortly.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence sent by email from the hon. Member for Sefton Central of 14 March 2023 on St Joseph's Hospice in Thornton.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We replied to the hon. Member on 27 April 2023.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether covid-19 lateral flow tests issued by (a) the NHS and (b) pharmacies are able to detect current and emergent variants of covid-19.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The performance of the lateral flow devices used in the National Health Service (NHS) are continually monitored and are subject to further evaluation at Porton Down to ascertain that they are able to detect new COVID-19 variants that may emerge into circulation in the United Kingdom.
Tests sold by pharmacies need to be approved under the Coronavirus Test Devices Approval (CTDA) regulations. As part of the post market surveillance, manufacturers of CTDA approved tests need to provide data to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency showing that performance levels are maintained against new COVID-19 variants that may emerge into circulation in the UK.
Both the evaluation conducted at Porton Down and CTDA maintain a highly rigorous testing process and ensure that COVID-19 tests used in the NHS and sold by pharmacies meet strict quality standards. UK consumers can be confident in the tests available, which is vital for managing COVID-19.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
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 the recommendations of the APPG report into osteoporosis published in November 2022.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The report’s recommendations are predominately being addressed through the Women’s Health Strategy and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on assessing and managing the risk of fragility fractures in people aged 18 years old and over. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme aims to improve access to secondary fracture prevention services to supplement the Best MSK Health programme.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in Sefton Central constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
In September we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health services, including in Sefton Central. Ensuring easier access to general practice will expand this route to access mental health services.
Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand NHS mental health services in England, including in Sefton Central. We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness by 2023/24.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 25 July 2022 from the hon. Member for Sefton Central on the subject of funding for a new health centre in Maghull, reference BE7947.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 20 September.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer the correspondence from the hon. Member for Sefton Central dated 16 May on a health facility in Maghull, Sefton.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member. A reply will be sent as soon as possible.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
Whether he has plans to fund a new health centre in Maghull, Sefton.
Answered by Steve Barclay
As of 2020/21 Integrated Care Systems have been empowered to prioritise their funding as they see fit to best improve care in local areas.
£20 billion capital will be provided at a national level for the period 2022/23 to 2024/25, of which £218 million has already been allocated for 2022/23 to Cheshire and Merseyside (Integrated Care Board).
Local health system planners acknowledge the need for a primary care estate in Maghull, and are working together to develop an estates strategy, which is currently in early development.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2022 to Question 98916 on Coronavirus: Screening, which body is responsible for the accreditation of businesses to supply covid-19 lateral flow tests to the NHS.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There is no accreditation process which applies to the businesses supplying COVID-9 lateral flow device (LFD) tests to the National Health Service. However, COVID-19 tests must have either a CE-mark or UKCA mark and either approved under the Medical Devices (Coronavirus Test Device Approvals) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 or listed on one of the temporary protocols. Where the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) or the devolved administrations procure LFD tests on behalf of the NHS, Coronavirus Test Device Approval is not required. However, the UKHSA evaluates these tests in a laboratory to ensure they display performance characteristics desirable for population testing. This evaluation is performed in advance of any procurement.