Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of permitting GP practices to administer covid-19 tests on their own staff to reduce waiting times for (a) such staff and (b) members of the general public at covid-19 testing centres.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Department is working with National Health Service and the general practitioner (GP) community to deliver a trial providing swab testing in a small number of GP surgeries across England. We are working with the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners and NHS England to deliver this in a way that works for both GPs and for their patients. Safety is our number one priority and this trial is only being delivered within the existing ‘COVID-19 safe’ working arrangements of GP surgeries which have the appropriate infection control measures in place. This does not replace any of the existing routes for accessing testing – instead it adds to the available routes. The aim of this is to make it as easy as possible for everyone who needs a swab test to get one.
Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
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 ensure that guidance on covid-19 relating to BAME people is more accessible to people whose first language is not English.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Since March 2020, Public Health England has translated key public guidance on COVID-19 in multiple languages including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu. This now also includes translation of shielding guidance into Bulgarian, Hindi and Nepali. Examples of guidance are available at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
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 (a) patients with secondary breast cancer and (b) other patients having noncurative treatment are not deprioritised for treatment ahead of a potential second wave of covid-19.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Ensuring cancer services have continued throughout the pandemic has been, and continues to be, a priority for this Government. This includes services for those with secondary cancers, and patients receiving noncurative treatments.
The strategy for maintaining services through the second wave stands, with key messages including: maintaining or stepping up hubs for cancer surgery; maximising independent sector use; ensuring good patient communication, with use of pathway navigators and safety netting; continue to step up cancer clinical trials; and further rolling out of Rapid Diagnostic Centres and stratified follow up, with redeployment of staff or pausing of invitations considered only as a last resort.
Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
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 (a) officials of his Department and (b) NHS England on issuing guidance to GPs on dealing with pressures on their services during winter 2020-21.
Answered by Jo Churchill
In July NHS England and NHS Improvement set out in a letter to the system the priorities that the National Health Service must focus on for phase 3 of the COVID-19 response from August 2020, including over winter.
In November NHS England and NHS Improvement issued further guidance on winter pressures and priorities, and announced £150 million of ring-fenced funding to support expansion of general practice capacity up until the end of March 2021.
These communications and further guidance are available on the NHS website: www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/preparedness-letters-for-general-practice/
NHS England and NHS Improvement regularly reviews and updates its standard operating procedures and communications to primary care providers, to ensure that they are equipped to respond to the pandemic. Local commissioners will also have escalation plans in place to respond to and support general practice during winter.
Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the White Paper on social care.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government’s current priority for adult social care is for everyone who relies on care to get the care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and tackle one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.
Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) potential merits and (b) feasibility of carrying out temperature checks on hauliers entering the UK.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Throughout the outbreak, all of our decisions have been informed by the best scientific evidence. Temperature screening was considered and discounted as a border measure on the basis that it is not, at present, effective or reliable in accurately identifying or rapidly screening for COVID-19. For example, temperature screening would not detect those who are asymptomatic, nor those who are symptomatic but do not have a fever.
International arrivals are required to supply their contact and accommodation information, and self-isolate in their accommodation for 14 days, unless they are exempt or travelling from a country on the travel corridors list. Lorry drivers do not need to self-isolate on entry into the United Kingdom as freight drivers are exempt from quarantine in order to keep vital supplies of goods moving.
Asked by: Jane Hunt (Conservative - Loughborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that people requiring specialist medical food products have been able to access them during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Department has worked closely with the specialist medical feed producers throughout the COVID-19 response to ensure that specialist feeds are available to patients that require them.