Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2020 to Question 91196 on NHS: negligence, what the steps the Government has taken to ensure that the claims and court process take into account the context of NHS staff working during the covid-19 outbreak.

We are committed to ensuring National Health Service staff have the support and resources they need to respond to the pandemic.

On 2 April, changes were announced to rules of court which gives guidance to judges to take into account the effect of COVID-19 when considering applications for extensions of time and adjournments in current cases. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/practice-direction-51za-extension-of-time-limits-and-clarification-of-practice-direction-51y-coronavirus