Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
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 22 July 2020 to Question 73681 on specialist treatment centres for victims of the vaginal mesh scandal, if he will make it his policy to (a) reimburse and (b) otherwise defray the reasonable relevant (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, (iii) prescription and (iv) medical appliance costs incurred by NHS patients having to travel substantially out of area to obtain specialist treatment; and if he will list those treatment centres (A) already and (B) scheduled to be established, together with the operational dates in each case.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
From 1 April 2021, the following trusts will provide specialised services for women with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse:
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
NHS England will establish services in South East and South West regions as soon as possible.
All health care costs associated with treatment are met by the National Health Service. This includes in-patient services, medical assessment, treatment, surgery if appropriate, outpatient services and follow-up. There are no current plans to provide for repayments of travel expenses or accommodation outside the scope of the existing Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme which is provided for in the NHS (Travel Expenses and Remission of Charges) Regulations 2003. The Government also has no plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that provide entitlement to exemption from prescription charges.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is giving to Domiciliary Care Companies during the covid-19 outbreak; what recent assessment he has made of the (a) importance of their role and (b) the potential merits of facilitating their work on behalf of vulnerable people; for what reason those companies have been denied access to the infection control grant scheme; and if he will make it his policy to (i) provide such access, and (ii) put in place other measures of financial support for those companies during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the importance of supporting the domiciliary care sector.
The £3.7 billion already granted to local authorities can be used to support adult social care, including domiciliary care. Moreover, local authorities can use some of the Infection Control fund for infection control measures in domiciliary care.
We continue to review and update the support measures that we have put in place for the home care sector.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason pharmacies have not been used to administer covid-19 vaccinations; and if he will make it his policy to utilise the pharmacy network for that purpose.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As from 26 January 2021, 65 community pharmacies have started to offer the COVID-19 vaccination service, with more pharmacies joining the service over the coming weeks.
Some pharmacists and members of their team have also been working with general practitioners (GPs) to deliver the vaccine in many areas of the country.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with all the national pharmacy organisations on plans to ensure that community pharmacies are used to optimal effect in the COVID-19 vaccination programme, starting with the sites that can do this at scale.
There is now a list of vaccine sites on the NHS website regularly updated as they come on stream, so you can check what services are available in your constituency including pharmacy sites. This is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/hospital-hubs-and-local-vaccination-services/
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to add the opening of windows as a fourth element to the hands, face, space public messaging formula for minimising the spread of covid-19 among people when indoors; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest ‘Hands, Space, Face’ campaign launched on 3 December 2020 and has introduced the need to ‘let fresh air in’ to the core set of protective actions we are asking the public to incorporate into their daily lives to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
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 a substantive Answer to Named Day Question 83653 on Domiciliary Care Companies and the Infection Control Grant Scheme, tabled by the hon. Member for New Forest East on 1 September 2020 and due for Answer on 7 September 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We take parliamentary scrutiny incredibly seriously and it is fundamentally important that hon. Members are provided with accurate and timely information to enable them to hold the Government to account. We are working rapidly to provide all Members with accurate answers to their questions, as well as supporting the Government’s response to the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rt hon. Member’s question will be answered as soon as possible.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
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 exception to the Rule of 6 covid-19 policy by allowing a higher overall total when applied to families with three or more children.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Until 3 December, tiers requirements will not apply because of the new national restrictions. As part of the national restrictions, however, we continue to recognise providing informal social care to relatives and vulnerable people is of the highest importance.
People may meet with a maximum of one person from another household outdoors for the purposes of exercise and recreation. Children under school age, as well as those dependent on round-the-clock care, such as those with severe disabilities, who are with their parents will not count toward the limit on meeting two people outside. People can continue to exercise outdoors as a household or support bubble.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the delayed Answers on 20 August 2020 to Questions 59658 asked on 16 June and 74414 asked on 15 July, on the delay to answer substantively Question 49568 on Diabetes and Question 49569 on Coronavirus: Screening, both tabled on 20 May 2020, for what reason the original two Questions have still not been substantively answered; and when he plans to provide those Answers.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Rt hon. Member to the responses to Question 49568, answered on 21 September, and Question 49569, answered on 14 September.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the deaths associated with covid-19 comprised people with diabetes in each of the last 12 weeks; for what reason people with diabetes have not been classed as extremely vulnerable; and whether he will make it his policy to include on the shielded list, people living with all types of diabetes .
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The proportion of deaths associated with COVID-19 of people with diabetes in each of the last week 12 weeks is shown in the following table.
Week ending | All COVID-19 deaths | COVID-19 deaths where the person had diabetes | Percentage of COVID-19 deaths where the person had diabetes |
12 June 2020 | 945 | 275 | 29.1 |
19 June 2020 | 675 | 185 | 27.4 |
26 June 2020 | 585 | 165 | 28.2 |
3 July 2020 | 425 | 110 | 25.9 |
10 July 2020 | 335 | 85 | 25.4 |
17 July 2020 | 225 | 65 | 28.9 |
24 July 2020 | 190 | 65 | 34.2 |
31 July 2020 | 160 | 50 | 31.3 |
7 August 2020 | 130 | 45 | 34.6 |
14 August 2020 | 135 | 45 | 33.3 |
21 August 2020 | 90 | 30 | 33.3 |
28 August 2020 | 55 | 20 | 36.4 |
The guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 has been developed by expert doctors identifying specific medical conditions based on what we know about the virus so far. The clinical evidence does not currently support classing people with diabetes as extremely vulnerable. We will continue to keep this evidence under review.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate the Government has made of the level of risk of incorrect negative covid-19 test results due to ineffective application of swabs to the (a) throat and (b) nose; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce that risk.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
International peer reviewed evidence, and real-world assessments from the Department’s testing programme has shown that swab tests taken by non-clinically trained individuals are just as effective as those taken by clinicians. The Department has clear guidance included with all self testing swab kits and material on GOV.uk and a video guide on Youtube detailing the process of self-swabbing.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent comparative assessment he has made of the effectiveness of pain medication and antidepressants for victims of the vaginal mesh scandal to help them cope with the after-effects of that mesh insertion; if he will make representations to NICE against proposals that prescription of pain medication should be withdrawn for those victims in cases where there is an absence of highly specific diagnoses of pain being the result of that mesh insertion; and for what reason such mesh insertions are still being permitted to take place provided that the insertion is carried out via the stomach.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Departmental officials have been working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to establish means of specialist support for those women requiring it. While NHS England and NHS Improvement complete the process of commissioning mesh removal centres, there are hospitals in England where this type of treatment is available. Both the British Association of Urological Surgeons and the British Society of Urogynaecology have information on their respective websites about the hospitals and surgeons that will provide the specialist support required.
On managing chronic pain, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises that the draft guideline is still out for consultation in line with their standard processes. This will close on Monday 14 September after which their guideline committee will meet to consider comments received.
On pain specifically experienced as a result of mesh insertion, NICE advises that its specific guideline is ‘Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in in women: management’, which includes advice on managing complications.
On the use of mesh to treat hernias (abdominal wall reinforcement), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not had any evidence which would lead it to change its position on use of surgical mesh for hernia repairs.