Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in each of the last five years, how many (a) referrals were made by youth offending teams to children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS), and (b) children referred by youth offending teams to CYPMHS received support.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The information is not held in the format requested Data showing the referrals made by youth offending teams to children and young people’s mental health services is only available from 2019/20. Prior to 2019/20, such referrals were included in the total referrals made by the wider justice system.
Available data shows that in 2019/20, there were 845 referrals made by youth offending teams to children and young people's mental health services and 483 children and young people were in contact with mental health services after being referred by youth offending teams. Data showing the number of children and young people receiving support is not available.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on supplying high risk supported living care settings with rapid tests as proposed in the November Covid-19 Winter Plan presented by the Prime Minister.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the single round of national testing in the most high-risk extra care and supported living settings, we launched regular polymerase chain reaction retesting on 9 December with weekly testing for staff and monthly for residents. We currently we do not offer any rapid lateral flow device testing for high-risk supported living settings. However, we are currently reviewing our position and will provide more information in due course.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to issue guidance to clinicians working with clinically extremely vulnerable children on when it is appropriate to administer a covid-19 vaccine.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities that require residential care should be offered a COVID-19 vaccination. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for use in those aged 16-17 years old.
Children under 16 years of age, even if they are clinically extremely vulnerable, are at low risk of serious morbidity and mortality and given the absence of safety and efficacy data on the vaccine, are not recommended for vaccination. The JCVI has not yet provided any further advice on children under the age of 12 years old. Any further recommendations on vaccinating children with other underlying conditions will be reviewed after the initial phase. At this stage additional data should allow a better assessment of risks and benefits.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to February 2021 research into the risks of aerosolisation of SARS-CoV-2 from oxygen delivery systems and coughing, if he will review the NHS infection prevention and control guidance and expand the situations in which an FFP3 mask should be used by workers.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The United Kingdom-wide Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Cell recently reviewed the evidence in relation to the transmission route for COVID-19 and the IPC precautions required and agreed that no changes to the current personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements were needed. PPE, including FFP3 masks should continue to be worn in line with the current IPC guidance.
Emerging evidence and data are continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance will be amended accordingly if needed.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
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 introduce regular repeat covid-19 tests for domiciliary care workers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 23 November 2020, we began offering Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered domiciliary care organisations access to regular, weekly COVID-19 testing for their carers looking after people in their own homes.
Those working for CQC-registered organisations are able to access weekly polymerase chain reaction tests to administer at home, which will help identify more asymptomatic cases and protect care recipients who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Proactively testing asymptomatic carers helps to identify those who unknowingly have the virus and enables those who test positive and their contacts to self-isolate. This is crucial to break the chains of transmission of the virus.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
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 potential merits of making regular repeat covid-19 tests available to domiciliary care users.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Home care workers employed by Care Quality Commission-registered organisations are able to access weekly PCR tests, which can be self-administered at home. This will help identify whether any home care workers have COVID-19 asymptomatically.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the Units of Dental Activity Targets for dental practices in response to the January 2021 covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
NHS England and NHS Improvement have set a 45% dental activity target. This target is based upon clinical advice and modelling from the office of the Chief Dental Officer and has taken into consideration robust adherence to infection prevention and control guidance and social distancing requirements. Furthermore, data on the percentages of activity dental practices have achieved to date supports the view that the target can be safely attainable.
National Health Service commissioners have the discretion to make exceptions, for instance in cases where a dental practice has been impacted by staff being required to self-isolate and the reinstatement of shielding during the national lockdown. There are currently no plans to review or change the unit of dental activity targets for January to March 2021.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the residents of Brighton and Hove will have access to a local covid-19 testing site following the closure of the AMEX stadium regional test centre on 25 August 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of 22 January we have opened three local test sites in Brighton at the East Brighton Park Tennis Courts; the disused school site at the junction of Mile Oak Road; and Preston Park on Preston Road
These are part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities including 86 drive-through sites, 458 walk-through sites, 19 satellite test sites, 258 mobile testing units, home testing and satellite kits and six lighthouse laboratories.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on the trials of covid-19 vaccines in children aged 12 to 15 years old.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have approved one United Kingdom vaccine trial that includes the 12-15-year age group.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
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 potential merits of conducting covid-19 tests on incoming university students this winter, in areas with low current infection rates where testing has been de-prioritised.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have quickly established walk-through sites and deployed mobile test sites so that almost every university student now has access to testing within one and a half miles when displaying symptoms. In cases of outbreaks we are working with universities to deliver large batches of home test kits which can then be distributed to students isolating in their households or halls of residence to test themselves. Use of multiple new testing technologies for asymptomatic students could significantly improve our detection of positive cases and further reduce the spread of the virus