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 provide intravenous nutrition to patients who cannot safely be admitted to hospital during the covid-19 outbreak.

We have continued to deliver the most urgent treatments, such as emergency and urgent cancer care, throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

Services to patients with intestinal failure, either requiring the initiation of home parenteral nutrition, or the review and monitoring of those established on home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition, have continued to be supported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of March 2020, NHS England published guidance for clinical leads about home parenteral nutrition services, including information to give to patients. A copy of the guidance can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/home-parenteral-nutrition-hpn-services/