Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
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 level of risk to disabled people of infection with covid-19 from domiciliary care workers who visit multiple homes.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In July Public Health England published the results of a study of infection with COVID-19 among domiciliary care workers in England which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
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 ensure domiciliary care workers are regularly tested for covid-19.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Asymptomatic testing for domiciliary care workers (also known as home care workers) is guided by the results from the Public Health England prevalence study into domiciliary care. This study found that COVID-19 prevalence among domiciliary care workers was similar to prevalence in the general population. Regular testing for the domiciliary care workforce is was not advised unless recommended by local risk assessments or in response to local outbreaks. Symptomatic staff should continue to access priority testing via the pillar 2 testing service. We are currently reviewing the implications of increased infection rates for asymptomatic testing in domiciliary care.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with representatives of domiciliary care workers on minimising the risk of infection from covid-19 for (a) disabled people and (b) their carers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Expansion of asymptomatic testing for SARS-CoV-2 in domiciliary care workers is being guided by the results from the Public Health England point prevalence survey of domiciliary care workers. This study found that COVID-19 prevalence among domiciliary care workers was similar to prevalence in the general population. Based on the evidence, the report does not recommend rolling out asymptomatic testing to domiciliary workers unless recommended by local risk assessments or in response to local outbreaks. Symptomatic staff should continue to access priority testing via the Pillar 2 testing service. We are currently reviewing the implications for asymptomatic testing in domiciliary care. Domiciliary care providers should continue to ensure that staff are appropriately supported to follow current guidance and that staff have appropriate personal protective equipment and training on its use, following national guidance.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to minimise the risk of domiciliary care workers spreading the covid-19 virus.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Expansion of asymptomatic testing for SARS-CoV-2 in domiciliary care workers is being guided by the results from the Public Health England point prevalence survey of domiciliary care workers. This study found that COVID-19 prevalence among domiciliary care workers was similar to prevalence in the general population. Based on the evidence, the report does not recommend rolling out asymptomatic testing to domiciliary workers unless recommended by local risk assessments or in response to local outbreaks. Symptomatic staff should continue to access priority testing via the Pillar 2 testing service. We are currently reviewing the implications for asymptomatic testing in domiciliary care. Domiciliary care providers should continue to ensure that staff are appropriately supported to follow current guidance and that staff have appropriate personal protective equipment and training on its use, following national guidance.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on how many occasions the Government has decided not to follow the advice of its medical and scientific advisers on how to tackle covid-19; and if he will publish the alternative advice on which Government decisions were based.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government has a world-renowned team of clinicians, public health experts and scientists working round the clock to keep this country safe. At all times the Government has been consistently guided by scientific advice to protect lives.
In the case of COVID-19, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has been providing Ministers and officials advice throughout, based on external scientific evidence and a wide source of essential information.
Transparency is at the heart of what the Government does and the Government has recently published online statements and accompanying evidence which demonstrate how our understanding of COVID-19 has evolved as new data has emerged. These statements are available online at the following link:
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) list the recommendations made by Exercise Cygnus in 2016, (b) set out those recommendations that have been implemented by the Government and (c) provide the reasons for not implementing those remaining recommendations.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Department does not routinely publish reports on exercises.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group's Patient and Public Engagement Strategy 2017 to 2020, what his Department's definition is of a seldom heard group; how many such groups it has identified; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Department and NHS England have not formally defined the term ‘seldom heard groups’, which is used by Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
NHS England published statutory guidance for CCGs and NHS England on patient and public participation in commissioning health and care. A copy of this guidance can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/participation/involvementguidance/
The CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework has an indicator (50) within the leadership domain that assesses CCGs involvement of patients and the public against a range of criteria including equalities and health inequalities. The indicator is based on the statutory guidance and so provides an assessment of CCG performance in this area. The 2017/18 data is available on MyNHS.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to clinical commissioning groups on ensuring that they involve patients through Patient Participation Groups; and how he plans to monitor the effectiveness of (a) that guidance and (b) clinical commissioning groups involving patients; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Department and NHS England have not formally defined the term ‘seldom heard groups’, which is used by Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
NHS England published statutory guidance for CCGs and NHS England on patient and public participation in commissioning health and care. A copy of this guidance can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/participation/involvementguidance/
The CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework has an indicator (50) within the leadership domain that assesses CCGs involvement of patients and the public against a range of criteria including equalities and health inequalities. The indicator is based on the statutory guidance and so provides an assessment of CCG performance in this area. The 2017/18 data is available on MyNHS.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides on whether clinical commissioning groups can allow community groups representing clearly defined geographical areas to become Patient Participation Groups; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
In May 2017 Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) carried out a review of the 35 general practitioner (GP) practices in the borough. This showed that 24 (68%) practices had fully functional Patient Participation Groups (PPGs).
In May 2018 Greenwich CCG undertook a further review which showed that 31 (88%) practices now had a fully functional PPG.
NHS England does not provide guidance about whether community groups can become PPGs. PPGs are specific to GP practices and included in the GP contract as a way in which practices can engage with their practice population. CCGs should engage more widely than PPGs and we would expect them to connect with and engage with community and voluntary groups in their local communities. This is part of their duty to involve patients and the public and is covered in the guidance for CCGs last published in 2017. Greenwich CCG welcomes engagement opportunities with patient community groups to receive feedback on health services commissioned by the CCG. This would be outside of the formal remit of a Patient Participation Group as defined within national guidance.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has made of the progress of Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group towards setting up Patient Participation Groups as proposed in its Patient and Public Engagement Strategy (2017 – 2020); how many such groups have been set up; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
In May 2017 Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) carried out a review of the 35 general practitioner (GP) practices in the borough. This showed that 24 (68%) practices had fully functional Patient Participation Groups (PPGs).
In May 2018 Greenwich CCG undertook a further review which showed that 31 (88%) practices now had a fully functional PPG.
NHS England does not provide guidance about whether community groups can become PPGs. PPGs are specific to GP practices and included in the GP contract as a way in which practices can engage with their practice population. CCGs should engage more widely than PPGs and we would expect them to connect with and engage with community and voluntary groups in their local communities. This is part of their duty to involve patients and the public and is covered in the guidance for CCGs last published in 2017. Greenwich CCG welcomes engagement opportunities with patient community groups to receive feedback on health services commissioned by the CCG. This would be outside of the formal remit of a Patient Participation Group as defined within national guidance.