Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish data on NHS orthodontic waiting lists.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Data on National Health Service orthodontic waiting lists is unavailable.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 tests were carried out in Batley and Spen constituency on each of the last 14 days.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The information is not held in the format requested as data is not collected at constituency level.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
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 introducing a fast track covid-19 testing system for school (a) teachers and (b) staff.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We are committed to supporting schools to stay open and as part of this, teachers with symptoms are being prioritised for tests. It is important that teachers who experience potential coronavirus symptoms quickly get clarity on whether they have the virus so those without it can safely return to their classes.
The Government have developed a dedicated route to enable schools to order additional tests kits online via a replenishment portal which can be accessed here. This dedicated route is used to replenish test kits and signpost staff to the online booking portal should any additional need for testing arise.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 testing swabs were provided to testing centres in Batley and Spen constituency on each of the last 14 days.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Department does not publish this data in this format.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS Trusts on (a) supporting front line NHS staff who have been shielding back to work and (b) providing those staff with appropriate personal protective equipment.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
NHS Employers have produced guidance for National Health Service organisations to support staff returning to work after shielding. An individual risk assessment must take place to support those staff and the relevant adjustments made. The guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mental health support is available to freelancers in the digital, culture, media and sport sectors who have not received an income for over four months as a result of the covid-19 outbreak and who are not eligible for Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We are committed to supporting everyone’s mental wellbeing, during this unprecedented period. National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business throughout this time providing ongoing support, including for people who work freelance if they have a clinical need. For those with severe needs or in crisis, all NHS mental health providers have established 24 hours a day, seven days a week mental health crisis lines. We have also published official guidance on mental health and wellbeing on GOV.UK and the Every Mind Matters campaign and website contains tailored, practical steps that the public can take to support their wellbeing and manage their mental health during the pandemic.
The Government has provided additional funding of £9.2 million for mental health charities to support adults and children struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.
We are also working with the NHS, Public Health England and other key partners to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts and plan for how to support mental health and wellbeing throughout the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis is for keeping additional covid-19 restrictions on (a) Batley and (b) other parts of Kirklees Council while removing restrictions from other areas in that local authority area.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Local areas have been encouraged to take a new, collaborative approach to advise on the geographical boundaries of local restrictions. Local leaders make proposals to the Gold Local Action committee based on the latest data available. This means restrictions in some areas will only apply to certain wards, rather than the entire local authority area. Following a review of the epidemiological and contextual evidence, and in consideration of the suggestions made by local leaders, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care alongside the Chief Medical Officer and members of the Gold Local Action Committee agreed that rules must remain in place for some areas to protect local residents, and allow more time for the changes to have an effect, cutting transmission among households and businesses.