Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has considered the Committee’s recommendations carefully and we will publish our response shortly.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Health and Safety Executive has issued recent guidance to (a) NHS England and (b) the UK Health Security Agency on the use of face coverings for workers in health care settings.
Answered by Will Quince
The Health and Safety Executive has not issued any specific advice or guidance to the UK Health Security Agency or NHS England on the use of face coverings for workers in health care settings. Such guidance would routinely be produced by NHS England and implemented through NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Manual. The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual, published in April 2022, is used by health care providers in all healthcare settings in England.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 31 May 2023 to Question 186059 on Protective Clothing, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the recommendation.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department relies on a wide range of evidence and research, which may include cost-benefit analyses, when making recommendations about protective clothing and patient health. Healthcare providers in all healthcare settings across England use the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual, which was published by NHS England in April 2022. This is complemented by pathogen/disease specific guidance from the UK Health Security Agency.
NHS England has not conducted a cost-benefit analysis specifically for the guidance on protective clothing, nor do they have plans to do so. The focus of this guidance is on patients and their choice to wear their own masks within clinical settings.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Health and Safety Executive has (a) issued guidance and (b) provided other advice to his Department on the use of face coverings for workers in health care settings.
Answered by Will Quince
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not issued any specific advice or guidance to the Department on the use of face coverings for workers in health care settings. This would routinely be done through NHS England or UK Health Security Agency and implemented through the NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM). The NIPCM, published by NHS England in April 2022, is used by health care providers in all healthcare settings in England.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 182258, tabled by the hon. Member for Shipley on 24 April 2023.
Answered by Will Quince
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 June 2023 to Question 182258.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 31 May 2023 to Question 186059 on Protective Clothing, if he will withdraw the recommendation for patients to wear face coverings in the absence of a cost-benefit analysis.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department’s recommendations regarding protective clothing and patient health are informed by a wealth of evidence and literature, sometimes including, but not limited to, cost-benefit analyses.
The recommendations in NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) regarding the use of face masks is informed by a literature review conducted by ARHAI Scotland, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nipcm.hps.scot.nhs.uk/media/2113/2022-01-06-surgical-masks-sicps-and-tbps-v20-final.pdf
As set out in the United Kingdom’s five year national action plan for tackling antimicrobial resistance, NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Team is currently undertaking literature reviews to support the NIPCM. While this process is on-going, the scientific and epidemiological data and literature remain under constant review.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 19 April 2023 to Question 176701 on Coronavirus: Contracts, how much funding was provided to each of the contracts that were awarded in response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Will Quince
A table is attached showing the individual current contract values for the majority of the 220 contracts reported as still active. On re-examining our data systems we have concluded that three of the contracts were in fact not active and should not have been included in the previous total of 220 contracts.
Individual values for 21 contracts with a total value of £7.8 billion cannot be provided as this is commercially confidential information. The great majority of these contracts by value are concerning the vaccines programme for which much information has been published in the form of Contract Award Notices on Contracts Finder, but the values have been excluded.
The remaining contracts within this group are classified as Official Sensitive due to the subject matters which they address.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 15 February 2023 to Question 141370 on Protective Clothing, if he will publish the evidence that supports the recommendation for patients at high risk of infection due to immunosuppression to continue wearing masks in NHS settings; and if he will undertake a cost benefit analysis of that recommendation.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM), published by NHS England in April 2022, is used by health care providers in all healthcare settings in England and is complimented by pathogen/disease specific guidance produced by UK Health Security Agency.
The NIPCM recommends that, following risk assessment, face coverings can be worn by patients as a form of source control, providing this does not compromise their clinical care or safety. This would include patients deemed to be at increased risk of infection, such as those who are immuno-compromised, and during periods where local epidemiology indicates a likely increase in risk of nosocomial transmission of a specific pathogen. At local level, the decision regarding the implementation of this measure should be informed by clinical judgement and risk assessment.
Recommendations regarding the use of face masks is informed by a literature review conducted by Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection Scotland, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nipcm.hps.scot.nhs.uk/media/2113/2022-01-06-surgical-masks-sicps-and-tbps-v20-final.pdf
As set out in the United Kingdom’s five year national action plan for tackling antimicrobial resistance, NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Team is currently undertaking literature reviews to support the NIPCM. While this process is on-going, the scientific and epidemiological data and literature remain under constant review.
The Department’s first priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of patients and staff, with no current plans to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the recommendation.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what peer-reviewed evidence UK Health Security Agency holds on the effectiveness of wearing face masks in public for the prevention of transmission of covid-19.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and one of its predecessor organisations, Public Health England, undertook and published multiple rapid evidence reviews on the effectiveness of face coverings in community settings for the prevention of transmission of COVID-19. The first review of the effectiveness of face coverings masks in non-healthcare settings was published on 26 June 2020, with the first updated published on 29 January 2021, followed by a second update on 9 November 2021.
The second update included 25 studies, two randomised controlled trials and 23 observational studies. Although the quality of the evidence was low/medium, it predominantly suggested that face coverings help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community, through source control, wearer protection and universal masking. 14 of the 25 studies identified were peer-reviewed, nine were preprints and two were non-peer-reviewed reports. All studies were assessed by an experienced UKHSA evidence reviewer and checked by a second reviewer using the quality criteria checklist.
Due to the pace of the UKHSA COVID-19 pandemic response, independent peer review was not sought prior to publication but all evidence reviews have been subject to an internal quality assurance and formal clearance process prior to publication. All UKHSA publications contain information regarding evidence quality and review processes included for each subject reviewed.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 health implications of first cousin marriages.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The first ever National Health Service genomics strategy, published in October 2022, seeks to drive equity in access to genomic testing. One of the ways NHS England is driving equity in access to genomic testing is through the roll out of culturally competent genetics services for consanguineous couples.
Culturally competent genetics services for consanguineous couples aims to improve access to genomics services for underserved groups and give families the opportunity to make informed reproductive decisions, whilst respecting their culture, values and beliefs. Through the Equity & Equality Guidance for Local Maternity & Neonatal Services, NHS England will provide around £2.7 million of funding over three years to improve access to culturally sensitive care for families in high need areas and to make available training and support for all health and care professionals.