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Written Question
Care Homes: Protective Clothing
Thursday 10th November 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to remove the recommendation that care home staff wear face masks; and what recent assessment he has made of the impact of that recommendation on communication with residents with dementia and deafness.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In adult social care, the guidance continues to recommend that all care home staff and visitors wear masks to provide protection for residents from COVID-19. The guidance allows for masks to not be used if, as part of a risk assessment, its use is considered particularly challenging for the resident, such as for residents with dementia and deafness.

The Department has commissioned a review of this guidance to ensure it reflects the latest available evidence and safe and proportionate infection prevention and control principles.


Written Question
Medical Equipment: Recycling
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department are taking to help increase the recycling of hospital equipment, including crutches; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a returns scheme for this equipment.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for policies on the reuse and recycling of hospital equipment. Patients are encouraged to contact the local NHS trust which can advise on how equipment can be returned or re-used where it is safe to do so.


Written Question
Primary Health Care: Pharmacy
Wednesday 7th September 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

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 assessment of the potential merits of expanding the primary care services that can be delivered by pharmacists.

Answered by James Morris

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 sets out how community pharmacy will support the NHS Long Term Plan through greater integration with the National Health Service and providing more clinical services to relieve pressures, including in primary care.

The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service allows general practices and NHS 111 to refer patients to community pharmacies for minor illnesses and the NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service. Other services have been expanded, such as the New Medicines Service, to support patients who have been prescribed specific new medicines. NHS England is piloting services which could be introduced, including the direct referral of people with potential symptoms of cancer, minor illness referrals from urgent and emergency care settings and the supply of contraception.

New standards for initial education and training will ensure that all new pharmacists will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to deliver these services, such as undertaking clinical checks and becoming independent prescribers upon registration.


Written Question
Care Homes: Protective Clothing
Thursday 7th July 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

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 removing guidance on mask wearing in care homes for all staff and patients and making mask-wearing discretionary for the individual or staff member.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

In adult social care, the guidance continues to recommend that all staff and visitors wear masks to provide protection for residents from COVID-19. The guidance provides scope for mask removal to be considered as part of a risk assessment if the usage is particularly challenging for the resident. Further personal protective equipment may also be recommended to carry out specific tasks. The wearing of face masks by care home residents has never been recommended. The Department continues to work with the UK Health Security Agency to review the relevant guidance to ensure it reflects safe and proportionate infection prevention and control principles.


Written Question
Health: Disadvantaged
Tuesday 28th June 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Health Disparities White Paper will be published.

Answered by Maggie Throup

The health disparities white paper will be published later this year.


Written Question
Paramedical Staff: Prescriptions
Monday 27th June 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling paramedics with prescription training, including paramedic practitioners based in GP surgeries, to prescribe a limited number of drugs to alleviate pressure on the NHS.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

There are existing systems in place to allow advanced paramedics to become independent prescribers. To become an independent prescriber, a paramedic must have a minimum of three years’ patient-oriented experience and successfully completed an independent prescribing programme. Independent prescriber paramedics can prescribe any licensed medicine, except controlled drugs, for any condition within their competence, including in general practice.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Thursday 23rd June 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken on vaccine damage payment policy in respect of the families of those who died as a result of receiving a covid-19 vaccination.

Answered by Maggie Throup

The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) provides a one-off tax-free payment, currently £120,000, to individuals whose health was damaged by a vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines. The VDPS can be applied for on behalf of someone who has died. To be eligible in such cases, the applicant should manage the estate of the deceased, with each case assessed against the legal requirements of the Scheme and considered on its own merits.

The Department and the NHS Business Services Authority are improving the VDPS through a simplified process and greater accessibility for all claimants. This includes the digitisation and modernisation of the claims process, including the VDPS claim form and more regular communications on the progress of claims.


Written Question
Mental Health Services: Durham
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what resources his Department is providing for mental health provision in (a) North West Durham and (b) County Durham; and what steps his Department is taking to improve mental health provision in those areas.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The information requested is not held at constituency level. In 2021/22, the planned expenditure on mental health services for County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group, including learning disabilities and dementia, was £162.1 million.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are reviewing mental health provision through the County Durham Community Mental Health Transformation Programme. The Programme is working with people with lived experience of mental illness and stakeholders to improve how mental health support and care is provided in local communities.


Written Question
Autism: Diagnosis
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of time is between the first appointment with a GP and obtaining a full diagnosis of female autism; and if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of NHS procedures for diagnosing that condition; and whether he plans to improve those procedures.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The information requested is not held in the format requested. NHS Digital began reporting experimental data on waiting times for autism assessments in November 2019. However, this data is not available by gender and does not report an average waiting time between referral and diagnosis. While no specific assessment of the effectiveness of autism diagnostic procedures for women and girls has been made, the 2019 public call for evidence to inform the autism strategy received evidence about the barriers women and girls experienced in the diagnosis process. NHS England and NHS Improvement are reviewing ways to improve the quality of diagnosis for women and girls to ensure the effectiveness of autism diagnostic pathways. In addition, an early identification of autism pilot is also testing whether identification and diagnosis of girls can be improved.


Written Question
Health and Social Care Levy
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure that additional (a) diagnosis, (b) assessments or (c) operations will be carried out by the NHS using the funding from the Health and Care levy by 2025.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Health and Social Care Levy provides more than £8 billion for the National Health Service in the three years to 2024/25 to specifically support elective recovery. This funding is expected to deliver the equivalent of approximately eight million more checks, scans and procedures. This will allow the NHS in England to deliver approximately 30% more elective activity by 2024/25 than before the pandemic.