Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing of people (a) in and (b) leaving social care is supported over the long term.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Local authorities must promote wellbeing when carrying out any of their care and support functions relating to an individual.
The promotion of Wellbeing (also known as the Wellbeing Principle) is the principle duty of the Care Act 2014. The Care Act guidance states that the care and support system works to actively promote wellbeing and independence, and does not just wait to respond when people reach a crisis point.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is providing to children in the high-risk vulnerable category who were advised to shield during the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak with any mental health issues they may have upon returning to school.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Shielding for the clinically extremely vulnerable has been paused since the start of August in most of the country. Shielding is still advised in specific areas of the country where prevalence of the virus is higher.
We are taking action to ensure that children and young people have access to support in schools. Our £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme will provide schools and colleges all over England with the knowledge and access to resources they need to support children and young people, teachers and parents. On 8 September, the Government extended Public Health England’s Every Mind Matters webpage with content specifically for children and young people and their parents and carers. The campaign will raise awareness of the guidance and tools available to support mental wellbeing and ensure children and young people who need urgent support are directed towards the right services.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards he is putting in place to ensure that vulnerable and elderly people have access to GP surgeries during and following the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
General practice continues its vital role in supporting high-risk patients with ongoing care needs, including those who have been in the ‘shielding’ cohort, those who may need to shield in future, care home residents and those needing COVID-19 aftercare and support.
Following NHS England and NHS Improvement guidance issued on 31 August on moving to Phase 3 in the response to COVID-19, all general practitioner practices must offer face-to-face appointments at their surgeries as well as using remote triage and video, online and telephone consultation wherever appropriate – whilst also considering those who are unable to access or engage with digital services.
In addition, general practices should restore activity to usual levels where clinically appropriate, and reach out proactively to clinically vulnerable patients and those whose care may have been delayed.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure all personnel in hospitals wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to ensuring that frontline staff in hospitals are equipped with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) not only for their protection, but to enable them to continue to deliver the first-class level of care that is amongst the best in the world.
Since 25 February 2020 the Department has distributed over three billion PPE items for use by health and social care services in England. Over 31 billion items of PPE have been ordered overall from United Kingdom-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.
We have published and continually updated our guidance on who needs PPE and when they need it, and the routes to ensure those who need it can get it at the right time, including hospital personnel.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support is available to organisations and charities that help people with cancer.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise that many charities are facing difficult decisions at the exact time their services are needed most and on 8 April 2020 the Chancellor announced £750 million to support the charity sector in response to COVID-19.
The Department does not routinely provide financial support to charities. However, of the £360 million allocated by central Government as part of that announcement, £200 million is for hospices and £22 million for health and social care charities. The £22 million includes the following cancer charities who were awarded grants in July:
- Jo’s Cervical Cancer - £435,000;
- Blood Cancer UK - £341,000; and
- Anthony Nolan - £325,000.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department has put in place to ensure that vulnerable people that do not have internet access are able to access urgent dental treatment.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Internet access is not required to access dental care. Patients who need urgent dental treatment should contact their usual dental practice by phone or, if they do not have a regular practice and/or it is out of hours, can telephone NHS 111. Practices have been gradually restarting face to face care from 8 June. Patients needing urgent dental care will therefore either be offered care at their usual practice or telephone triaged to one of the over 600 urgent dental care centres NHS England set up during the peak of the pandemic and which remain open for urgent dental treatment.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available to vulnerable people that require urgent dental treatment but have no access to the internet.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Internet access is not required to access dental care. Patients who need urgent dental treatment should contact their usual dental practice by phone or, if they do not have a regular practice and/or it is out of hours, can telephone NHS 111. Practices have been gradually restarting face to face care from 8 June. Patients needing urgent dental care will therefore either be offered care at their usual practice or telephone triaged to one of the over 600 urgent dental care centres NHS England set up during the peak of the pandemic and which remain open for urgent dental treatment.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department plans to allocate to the NHS to deliver the Government's new obesity strategy, announced on 27 July 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Through the obesity strategy we are committed to expanding weight management services and will provide further details on this later in the year.
We are already backing all National Health Service organisations with significant funding commitments including the Chancellor’s latest fund for the healthcare response to COVID-19, which stands at £31.9 billion for this year alone. This is in addition to the Long Term Settlement that will see NHS funding increase by £33.9 billion by 2023-24.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to undertake (a) a public consultation and (b) focus group meetings with patients on the development of a new plan to reduce obesity prevalence; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
Our policies are informed by the latest research and emerging evidence, including from debates in Parliament and various reports from key stakeholders including the Health and Social Care Select Committee. We have also captured analysis from the National Institute for Health Research Obesity Policy Research Unit, which was established as part of our initial childhood obesity plan, through £5 million investment over five years.
There are ongoing discussions between Ministers and officials as part of developing and delivering the obesity programme.
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ is available at the following link:
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support is available for small businesses and voluntary groups to support the Government's obesity reduction strategy.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no current plans to allocate funding to small businesses and voluntary groups to support the obesity strategy.