Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to analyse the Office for National Statistics data on excess deaths from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to the end of 2022 across all age groups.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
Analysts at the department have reviewed the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on excess deaths every week since the start of the pandemic. There are a range of different organisations producing different estimates of excess deaths based on different methodologies. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the department analyses the same source data as ONS to produce and publish its own estimates. Using an alternative methodology to the ONS estimates, OHID analysis provides further breakdowns of excess deaths, including by age group, ethnic group, level of deprivation and cause of death.
Analysts at ONS and OHID meet regularly to discuss the analysis produced by both organisations, including the methods used and any issues which may affect the quality or accuracy of the mortality data.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the UK Health Security Agency of the effectiveness of the drug Evusheld against the Omicron variant of covid-19; and if she will make that treatment available on the NHS to people who are immunocompromised.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is a decision based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group, which considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies. It concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend deployment at this time. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and agrees that it should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.
The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on this decision and evidence considered. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
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 to encourage more women to attend cervical screening appointments; and what recent steps his Department has taken to make cervical screening more accessible.
Answered by Will Quince
The national ‘Help us help you’ Cervical Screening Saves Lives campaign ran in February and March 2022 to urge individuals not to ignore a cervical screening invitation and to contact their general practitioner (GP) where an invitation has been missed. In some Primary Care Networks, appointments can be made in any primary care setting in addition to the patient’s GP practice for evenings and weekends and via integrated sexual health clinics.
To support improved uptake, the effectiveness of human papillomavirus self-sampling is being evaluated. This initiative could address some barriers which prevent people from attending for screening, such as physical disability or trauma.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that identification of dementia in patients is prioritised during hospital admissions.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
We have committed to expand the provision of all-age mental health liaison services in all acute hospitals in accident and emergency (A&E) departments and inpatient wards. We are also establishing acute frailty services in all hospitals with a major A&E department to ensure that dementia patients can be assessed, treated and supported by skilled multidisciplinary teams.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the number of women in Wales of childbearing age who are prescribed sodium valproate.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We have had no specific discussions with the Welsh Government on this issue, as this is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds data on the number of babies in Wales who are born with foetal valproate syndrome.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The information requested is not held centrally, as this is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) make and (b) publish a plan to reform support for (i) breaks, (ii) respite and care services, (iii) infection control, (iv) identification, (v) financial help, and (vi) support to manage work and care for unpaid carers.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The white paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’ sets out how we will invest up to £25 million in the services provided to unpaid carers, which could include respite, breaks, peer group and wellbeing support. Local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any carer who appears to have a need for support. If a carer is assessed as having eligible needs, the local authority has a legal duty to meet these needs on request from the carer.
Since February 2021, free personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 needs has been provided to unpaid carers who do not live with the person they care for. This is available for unpaid carers until March 2023. The Carer’s Allowance and income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit, can also provide financial support to carers on low incomes. Legislation to introduce one week of unpaid leave for unpaid carers in work will be brought forward when Parliamentary time allows. In addition, all employees with 26 weeks continuous service have the statutory right to request flexible working which can assist unpaid carers to balance caring and work.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
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 using its experience of the Vaccines Taskforce during the covid-19 outbreak to establish a dementia medicines taskforce to speed up progress in dementia research.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Officials have met Alzheimer’s Research UK to discuss this proposal and considered routes for accelerating access to such medicines for patients with NHS England and NHS Improvement, including the experiences of the Vaccines Taskforce.
We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, including on diagnosis, risk reduction and prevention and research. The strategy will include ambitions for research to develop new disease-modifying treatments. We will continue to engage with stakeholders, including Alzheimer’s Research UK, throughout the development of the strategy.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase funding for research into myalgic encephalomyelitis; and what steps he is taking to meet the additional needs of people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis and other similar chronic conditions.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The Department has asked the UK Clinical Research Collaboration to convene a subgroup on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) with a range of stakeholders, including research funders, to ensure high quality applications for research into ME/CFS and support the research community to build capacity and capability.
On 12 May 2022, we announced the intention to develop a cross-Government Delivery Plan for ME/CFS in England. The delivery plan will build on the recommendations of the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership and the recently updated guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to ensure that people living with ME/CFS have the appropriate support.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are establishing a task and finish group to produce guidance on the provision of high-quality services for people living with long term pain by September 2022. The guidance is aimed at integrated care systems to provide core principles which can be used to inform the development of local models of care to support people living with chronic pain.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve levels of dementia diagnoses in rural areas.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network to investigate the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates in specific areas in England. This will include a focus on social and economic deprivation; rurality; demographic characteristics including age, ethnicity and educational attainment; and general health and life expectancy.
In 2021, factsheets were published to encourage local conversations to understand patterns and potential reasons for any trends in dementia diagnosis rates and identifying specific areas for support. In 2021/22, we also provided £17 million to clinical commissioning groups to address the needs of those waiting for diagnosis and those who have a diagnosis but are unable to access support services due to the pandemic. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis.