Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for further COVID-19 boosters beyond the third vaccination; and what steps they plan to take as a result of this assessment.
Answered by Lord Kamall
On 7 January 2022 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that the priority for the COVID-19 booster programme remains to increase coverage of the first booster dose across the adult population, particularly in older adults and those in clinical risk groups. A second booster dose was not advised at this time as there is evidence of continued high vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation due to the Omicron variant following a first booster dose.
The JCVI continues to consider the latest available data and will review the booster programme, particularly in relation to the timing and value of any second booster doses for the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of alcoholism during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they are taking as a result of any findings made.
Answered by Lord Kamall
No specific assessment has been made. However, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities found that there was a rise in consumption of alcohol for increasing and higher risk drinkers (individuals that consume more than 14 units a week) during periods of lockdown, compared to when no restrictions were in place. The Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2020 to 2021: report showed a 2.8% increase in those in treatment for alcohol only compared to 2019/20. A copy of the report is attached.
As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing in a programme to establish specialist alcohol care teams in hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol-dependence-related admissions. In late 2021, a second wave of hospital sites across England were selected to receive funding. We are also spending £533 million over three years in local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to communicate the need for public take-up of the COVID-19 booster vaccination via (1) national, and (2) local, media.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The national ‘Get Boosted Now’ campaign was launched on 12 December 2021 in both national and local media, highlighting the importance of those eligible receiving a booster dose. Ministers, scientists, clinicians and celebrities have shared messaging, supported by a large-scale marketing campaign, including TV, radio, press partnerships, and digital and social media.
There is also ongoing local engagement with stakeholders, community groups and faith leaders to reinforce the booster vaccination campaign with ethnic minority communities, patient groups and disproportionately impacted communities. We are also sponsoring information articles in more than 600 newspaper titles, including multicultural newspapers in multiple languages. The COVID-19 vaccination leaflets produced by the UK Health Security Agency have been translated into 28 languages including Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Panjabi and Urdu.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of providing defibrillators in public places; and what steps they are taking to encourage this provision.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Improving bystander use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) was assessed as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. The Plan sets out that a national network of community first responders and AEDs could save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028. With growing public awareness and acceptance of AEDs, many community defibrillators have since been provided in public locations such as shopping centres, through national lottery funding, community fundraising schemes, workplace funding or by charities.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations; and what plans they have to promote take-up of the vaccine.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Over 13 million people have already received their COVID-19 booster vaccination or third dose. We continue to review the effectiveness of the programme in order to maximise the COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign.
There are more clinics in England delivering COVID-19 vaccines, including pharmacies, general practitioner practices and other community sites. There are hundreds of walk-in sites offering booster vaccines without an appointment. In addition, COVID-19 booster vaccines have been delivered or scheduled in nine out of ten care homes in England.
Initiatives to promote the programme have included bespoke social media communications and the ‘Boost your immunity this winter’ launched in mid-October, encouraging all those eligible to take up the booster vaccine when offered. The advertising is forecast to reach 99% of all adults throughout the nine week period of the campaign.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current average response time for ambulances in England.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The following table shows the mean average ambulance response times in hours, minutes and seconds England in November 2021 for Category 1, 2, 3 and 4 incidents.
Category 1 Life threatening | Category 2 Emergency | Category 3 Urgent | Category 4 Non-urgent |
00:09:10 | 00:46:37 | 02:37:08 | 03:12:49 |
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) governments in Europe, and (2) governments in other countries, regarding the compatibility of COVID-19 vaccination records for the purposes of travel.
Answered by Lord Kamall
We have engaged with Governments in countries where certification has been introduced to determine the compatibility with the United Kingdom’s COVID 19 vaccination records and entry requirements. In addition, following discussions with the European Union, the UK’s certification solution has now been linked with the EU Digital COVID Certificate.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of NHS staff having COVID-19 vaccinations; and what steps are they taking in response.
Answered by Lord Kamall
In response to public consultation, the Government has set out its view that COVID-19 vaccination requirements are important in protecting National Health Service staff, their colleagues and the patients they care for. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 will implement vaccination as a condition of deployment for health and wider social care services.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote ventilation in buildings to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Government has published Ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in an online only format. This guidance stresses the importance of practical steps such as opening windows and doors; making sure small vents or grilles are open and not blocked; and ensuring that any mechanical ventilation system is working and maintained in line with manufacturers’ instructions. Ventilation systems should bring fresh air in and not recirculate indoor air. In workplaces and non-domestic settings, ventilation should be considered alongside other control measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of cases of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they intend to take in response to any such assessment.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Analysis by the Office for National Statistics shows that between 21 July to 15 August 2021, 17% of adults surveyed experienced some form of depression. This is a decrease since the survey of 27 January to 7 March 2021 at 21% but above pre-pandemic levels of 10%.
For children and young people, NHS Digital report that rates of probable mental disorders, including depression, have increased since 2017. For 6 to 16 year olds rates have increased from 11.6% to 17.4% and in 17 to 19 year olds from 10.1% to 17.4%. Rates in both age groups remained similar between 2020 and 2021.
We have allocated an additional £500 million through the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for 2021/22, to ensure the right support is in place, including for people with depression. Of this funding, £110 million will be used to expand adult mental health services including psychological therapies and £79 million to significantly expand children’s mental health services. We are also investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to enable a further two million people to access mental health services.