Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to prioritise covid-19 vaccinations for the carers of terminally ill spouses.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We recognise the vital role unpaid carers play in caring for vulnerable individuals. Unpaid carers are included in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s priority group six - all individuals aged 16 to 64 years old with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. This also includes those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 dental practices have access to adequate personal protection equipment during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Dentists normally purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) through dental wholesale suppliers. However, for PPE which is needed as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has made supplies available free of charge for National Health Service dental contractors. A dedicated PPE portal has been developed to deliver these items. As of 4 November, over 5,100 NHS dental and orthodontic providers in England have registered with the PPE portal and over 36 million items have been delivered.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a house in multiple occupation is defined as a singular household for the purpose of the covid-19 rule of six policy.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
This refers to those who people live with. To reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19, people should keep at least two metres away from those they do not live with. Social distancing is essential to stop the spread of the virus, as it is more likely to spread when people are close together.
Further information on social distancing is available at the following link:
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 (a) Marie Curie, (b) Sue Ryder and (c) other hospice care groups have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published a personal protective equipment (PPE) plan on 10 April, setting out clear guidance on who needs PPE and in what circumstances they need to use it, how sufficient supplies will be secured and distributed to the front line.
The Government recognises the vital services that hospices provide across the United Kingdom. Distribution routes for PPE are constantly reviewed to strengthen and expand capacity, and efforts are currently being undertaken to boost the service to hospices.
We have provided local resilience forums with supplies of PPE to help them respond to urgent local spikes in need across front-line services, including hospices.
The National Supply Disruption Response exists as an emergency escalation route who handle queries including the supply of PPE as a last resort.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether private rental companies who provide vehicles for the NHS and other essential public services will be able to continue to operate under the Government's covid-19 response scenarios; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government is committed to doing all it can to ensure that National Health Service workers are able to travel to work with minimal disruption. We also recognise the important role public services and private companies play in delivering key services.
At present the Government has no plans to put in place restrictions on public or private transport as part of our response to COVID-19. However, we continue to keep all aspects of our response to the virus under review, guided by the best advice from our world-renowned team of clinicians, public health experts and scientists.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of clinical commissioning groups on making the process of (a) accessing NHS capital funding and (b) making improvements to NHS services (i) easier and (ii) more efficient; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have regular discussions with representatives of clinical commissioning groups about capital investment in community and primary care. We have already implemented changes to improve the capital business case development and approvals processes and make it more efficient. This includes establishing a joint Departmental and NHS England and NHS Improvement Investment Committee.
The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement work closely with commissioners and providers of NHS services to support service improvement.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish a White Paper in response to the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark on 22 January 2020 to Question 3763.