Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide an update on the (a) availability of treatments for community-acquired pneumonia associated with covid-19 and (b) stockpiling of those treatments to ensure sufficient and equitable access.

We are not aware of any current supply issues with treatments for community-acquired pneumonia associated with COVID-19. Antibiotic treatments are held in the pandemic influenza preparedness stockpile which can be released at times of critical supply shortages.

As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to access safe and effective medicines.

The Department is working closely with the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages.