Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 compatibility of the resumption of visits to care homes in Northern Ireland and the existing guidance for England on that matter.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The resumption of visits to care homes in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.
The Government works in close collaboration with the devolved administrations to share and stay up to date with the latest advice and policy developments.
We are aware that limiting visits in care homes is difficult for many families and residents who want to see their loved ones.
The Government published guidance for England on visiting care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic on 22 July 2020. This guidance is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 guidance on family visits to residential care homes as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published guidance on visiting care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic on 22 July 2020. This guidance is available on GOV.UK at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 that (a) clinical trials and (b) market authorisations from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency comply with European Medicines Agency standards in order to obtain approval for use in the EU market.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has taken pragmatic steps to ensure that the United Kingdom continues to have innovative and cost-effective treatments that benefit patients and boost growth in the life sciences sector. This includes limiting any additional cost or burden on industry by considering applications for marketing authorisations in the UK on the basis of information consistent with that being submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
As for clinical trials, the MHRA will continue to approve applications at a national level, working to international standards as they are now, using a UK data package whose requirements are consistent with those in the European Union. The UK will still have the ability to participate in multinational trials, as, data generated in a UK clinical trial will continue to be admissible to support regulatory activity in the EU, and indeed globally. This ensures the UK remains an attractive location for trials to take place, with a view to getting medicinal products licensed in the UK and elsewhere.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people and (b) the number of people under the age of 18 who have taken up vaping who did not previously smoke cigarettes.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England publishes annual independent updates on the prevalence of vaping among adults and young people in England.
The latest report found that less than 1% of adults who have never smoked are current vapers (defined as any current use). Among young people under 18, less than 1% of those who have never smoked are current vapers (defined as weekly or less than weekly).
No assessment has been made of the effect of vaping on the health of people who have never smoked in England.
‘Vaping in England: an evidence update including mental health and pregnancy, March 2020: a report commissioned by Public Health England’, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaping-in-england-evidence-update-march-2020
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 effect of vaping on the health of people who have not previously smoked cigarettes.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England publishes annual independent updates on the prevalence of vaping among adults and young people in England.
The latest report found that less than 1% of adults who have never smoked are current vapers (defined as any current use). Among young people under 18, less than 1% of those who have never smoked are current vapers (defined as weekly or less than weekly).
No assessment has been made of the effect of vaping on the health of people who have never smoked in England.
‘Vaping in England: an evidence update including mental health and pregnancy, March 2020: a report commissioned by Public Health England’, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaping-in-england-evidence-update-march-2020
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the letter from Lord O’Shaughnessy to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central on 21 December 2017, what progress the Government has made on its review of upfront charging and extending charges to out-of-hospital care and care providers by non-NHS organisations.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the review of the 2017 Amendment Regulations, the Department engaged with a number of external stakeholders and received evidence from over 60 organisations and individuals. The findings of this review were announced in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1174) laid by the then Minister of State for Health (Stephen Hammond MP) on 12 December 2018.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS guidance on vaping.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy ofwaiting times for GP appointments.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 assessment process for eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare; and whether he has any plans to review that process.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department published an updated National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) in March 2018, following a period of extensive engagement with stakeholders and those working across the National Health Service and local government.
The update provided clarity on policy areas and reflected legislative changes such as the Care Act 2014. Importantly, none of the 2018 amendments and clarifications to the National Framework changed the eligibility criteria for NHS CHC.
Following the of the National Framework, the Department and NHS England are working jointly to explore the NHS CHC and NHS-funded Nursing Care initial pathway including the CHC Checklist tool.
NHS England has launched an NHS CHC Strategic Improvement Programme and is helping clinical commissioning groups to improve their application of the NHS CHC National Framework. The Programme aims are to provide fair access to CHC in a way which ensures better outcomes, better experience, and better use of resources.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 Code of Practice for Liberty Protection Safeguards.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act received Royal Assent on 16 May 2019. The Department has committed to placing a letter in the Library setting out details of the timescales for the Liberty Protection Safeguards Code of Practice, which it will do shortly.