Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 improve NHS facilities in Bridlington.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Local health systems have received confirmation of their capital envelopes for 2021-22 and the settlement from HM Treasury has enabled us to protect the level of capital funding for trusts. This will enable them to progress priority investments agreed with local health partners. The Bridlington Primary Care Network is currently undertaking a review of its estate to identify future requirements, working with the local authority and local trusts.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent audit he has undertaken of the NHS estate to ensure that adequate, local hospital services in rural areas are provided and maintained; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Estates Returns Information Collection is collected and published once per year. We also collect data on land which is surplus to clinical requirements, and this is published on a quarterly basis. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, we recognise that the National Health Service estate and services in rural areas can face significant challenges. The Long Term Plan confirmed that a standard model of delivery will be developed for use in smaller acute hospitals who serve rural populations.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to relax restrictions on care home residents who are fully vaccinated, in order that they can leave their care home for outside visits without having to self-isolate upon their return.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have updated our guidance on care home visiting, which came into effect on 17 May. The guidance is available at the following link:
We will continue to keep the guidance under review, in line with clinical advice, including on the effect of vaccination.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of access to fertility in the context of treatment varying from area to area under different policies of Clinical Commissioning Groups; if he will take steps to terminate such policy that varies according to a postcode, to ensure fairness and consistency; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are expected to commission fertility services in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines, to ensure equitable access across England. We are aware that some individual CCGs set additional non-clinical criteria. The Department has undertaken an internal review and is currently considering options to address these variations.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the (a) level and (b) adequacy of respite care provision, by county, for parents or guardians of children diagnosed with autism; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Commissioning social care is a matter for local authorities, who have a duty to make sure there is a range of high-quality services in their area to meet local needs.
As set out in the COVID-19 Mental Health Wellbeing and Recovery Plan published on 27 March 2021, there is an additional £31 million allocated in 2021/22 to improve support in the community for autistic adults and children and for people with a learning disability, with £3 million allocated for respite and short breaks aimed at helping families, including those of autistic children.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve the (a) effectiveness and (b) powers of the National Food Crime Unit, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognises the importance of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and its achievements so far in tackling serious and complex food crime. It has developed effective capabilities in intelligence and investigations but its capacity to operate with full autonomy and achieve a maximum return on investment would be enhanced with additional investigative powers. This would relieve the burden on other law enforcement partners who face other competing demands and is fully supported by the police and food industry. Ministers are in dialogue with the NFCU, industry and the police with a view to relieving police forces from some of the application of justice in this area.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 protection provided against new covid variants by standard surgical face masks currently used by the NHS; whether he plans to upgrade nursing staff to higher grade face masks; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The personal protective equipment recommended for use in the National Health Service, including face masks, is dependent upon the setting and procedure being undertaken. These recommendations are set out in the infection prevention and control guidance (IPC), which was updated on 21 January and is available on GOV.UK.
A peer review has been undertaken by an expert group of clinicians to assess the new variant strains. The evidence review has not identified a change in the mode of transmission between the variants and previous circulating strains of COVID-19. Accordingly, there are no changes to the recommendations set out in the IPC guidance at this time. Emerging evidence and data on variant strains will be continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance amended accordingly if needed.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to help increase the intake of vitamin D during winter months among (a) the general public and (b) people with health vulnerabilities in 2021; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
During the autumn and winter months everyone in the United Kingdom is advised to take a supplement of vitamin D every day to support general health and in particular for bone and muscle health.
A Public Health England marketing campaign ran throughout December 2020 to raise awareness of this advice. The campaign targeted those over 50 years old as well as black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups as two key vulnerable audiences. These groups were reached via advertising on social media and websites, as well as by messages delivered by healthcare professionals on popular BAME radio stations.
In addition, those on the clinically extremely vulnerable list and those in residential and nursing care homes in England have been offered free vitamin D supplements for the winter by the Government.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce (a) pre and (b) post covid-19 vaccination procedure to help ensure vaccines are effective at the point of being administered; what steps he is taking to mitigate the risk to vaccine effectiveness of mis-storage; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
General practitioner (GP) practices will ensure that all vaccines are received, stored, prepared and subsequently transported, where appropriate, in accordance with the relevant manufacturer, Public Health England and NHS England’s instructions as well as with all associated Standard Operating Procedures.
Where vaccinations are administered away from a designated site, for example, at a care home, the GP practice will ensure that appropriate measures are taken to ensure the integrity of the cold chain, following any guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation or Public Health England. Appropriate procedures will be in place to ensure stock rotation, monitoring of expiry dates and appropriate use of multi-dose vials to minimise wastage.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 ensure that Clinical Commissioning Groups across the country follow the NICE guidance on fertility and the factsheet produced by NHS England, to ensure that adequate and consistent fertility services are provided across the country in each CCG area; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The level of provision of local health services available to patients, including fertility treatment, is, and has been since the 1990s, a matter for local healthcare commissioners. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a statutory responsibility to commission healthcare services including fertility services that meet the needs of their whole population. Ministers currently have no power to direct individual CCGs in relation to their commissioning functions.
In respect of National Health Service fertility services, the Government have been consistently clear that we expect CCGs to commission fertility services in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines, so that there is equal access across England. We also expect CCGs to give fair consideration to all patients who have had fertility treatment delayed so that no one misses out on treatment due to COVID-19, in line with NHS England’s recent statement.