Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of suspending NHS overseas visitors charging regulations during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has no plans to suspend the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015, nor hold an inquiry into their impact during the pandemic.
The Regulations include important exemptions designed to protect the vulnerable or public health and no charge can be made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis or, if positive, treatment of COVID-19. Exemptions from charge also apply to any National Health Service care received by asylum seekers, refugees and victims of modern slavery.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to consult (a) disabled people and (b) representatives of disability rights organisations to obtain their views on reforming adult social care.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
‘Build Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care’, was published on 7 September, committing to investing an additional £5.4 billion over three years.
In developing the proposals set out in the Plan, we discussed priorities for reform with a wide range of stakeholders, including people with disabilities. We will continue to work with care users, providers and other partners, including disabled people and disability-led organisations, to co-develop more detail on our plans for reform of adult social care. Further detail will be published in a white paper later this year.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
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 extending eligibility to NHS pensions for dental nurses working in dental practices that offer both private and NHS dental treatment.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Pension Scheme is an occupational pension scheme designed for staff engaged primarily in the delivery of NHS services.
The majority of National Health Service dental services are contracted via a provider-performer dentist, with dental practices operating as private businesses. As a result, practices will engage dental nurses and other dental care professionals as required for both their private and NHS business needs. As a result, it is difficult to identify staff as being primarily engaged in the delivery of NHS services and for this reason dental practice staff are unable to join the scheme.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent representations he has made to representatives of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on accelerating the approval of Trodelyn for treating metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Answered by Nadine Dorries
No such representations have been made. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for independently assessing the efficacy and safety of drugs before approval.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the potential merits of reintroducing mandatory face masks in public spaces following the incidence of covid-19 cases in July 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government continues to assess the evidence and keeps the guidance on wearing face coverings under review. We will take further action if needed.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a comprehensive evidence-based alcohol strategy to reduce the harm caused by alcohol.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans for a standalone alcohol strategy as the Government has committed to publish a new United Kingdom-wide cross-government addiction strategy which will consider a range of issues, including drugs, alcohol and problem gambling.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) develop and (b) fund a comprehensive blueprint of psychological care for young people with cancer.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans to develop and fund a blueprint for psychological care for young people with cancer. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have established a task and finish group to review psychosocial support for people affected by cancer, including young people. Furthermore, the NHS Long Term Plan states that where appropriate every person, including young people, diagnosed with cancer should receive a Personalised Care and Support Plan based on holistic needs assessment, end of treatment summaries and health and wellbeing information and support, including for mental health needs.
Clinical commissioning groups develop strategic clinical plans covering a wide range of health care services based on their local population needs, and will use these plans to decide how to best use their budgets to deliver high quality care to their patients. In doing so they use their clinical expertise to assess and prioritise those treatments that provide the safest and most effective outcomes for the population.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the transition to a midwifery-led continuity of carer model of care is adequately (a) resourced and (b) supported.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
NHS England and NHS Improvement have committed to midwifery-led continuity of carer, so that it becomes the default model of care for women using maternity services across England by March 2023. NHS England and NHS Improvement have provided local maternity systems with £90.05 million in service development funding from 2018 to 2021 to fulfil transformational objectives, including implementing continuity of carer models. An additional £96 million was announced earlier this year in response to the emerging findings from the Ockenden Report, the majority of which will be invested in additional midwives and obstetric capacity.
Upcoming NHS England and NHS Improvement guidance will include advice on the implementation of maternal medicine-focused continuity of carer teams, which could be used to accommodate women deemed higher risk due to previous loss, whilst still offering continuity of the midwife caring for them.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to prioritise people with (a) asthma and (b) other respiratory conditions for the covid-19 booster vaccination.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published interim advice on a potential COVID-19 booster vaccination programme on 30 June, which is available at the following link:
The JCVI advises a two staged approach, with individuals in stage one offered a booster and flu vaccine, as soon as possible from September. Individuals in stage two should be offered a booster vaccine as soon as practicable after stage one, with equal emphasis on deployment of the flu vaccine where eligible. Adults aged over 50 years old and those aged 16 to 49 years old who are in an influenza or COVID-19 at-risk group, are included in stage two. Influenza at-risk groups include some sufferers of chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma.
Final decisions on the timing and scope of the vaccine booster programme, as well as cohorts and eligibility, will be made later in the year, informed by further independent advice from the JCVI.