Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis among (a) health professionals and (b) the public.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pulmonary fibrosis, although it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.
Furthermore, community diagnostic centres are also being established to deliver additional, digitally connected, diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with co-ordinated diagnostic tests in the community, on a range of clinical pathways, including pulmonary fibrosis. With the aim of raising the standard of care that people with this idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis receive, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also publishes quality standards that define best practice, and areas in need of improvement.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support research into pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pulmonary fibrosis, although it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.
Furthermore, community diagnostic centres are also being established to deliver additional, digitally connected, diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with co-ordinated diagnostic tests in the community, on a range of clinical pathways, including pulmonary fibrosis. With the aim of raising the standard of care that people with this idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis receive, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also publishes quality standards that define best practice, and areas in need of improvement.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) care for people living with pulmonary fibrosis; and if she will make an assessment of the impact of waiting times on patient care.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pulmonary fibrosis, although it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.
Furthermore, community diagnostic centres are also being established to deliver additional, digitally connected, diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with co-ordinated diagnostic tests in the community, on a range of clinical pathways, including pulmonary fibrosis. With the aim of raising the standard of care that people with this idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis receive, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also publishes quality standards that define best practice, and areas in need of improvement.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 24 November 2023 to Question 1672 on Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's statement of 1 September 2023 on a respiratory syncytial virus immunisation programme for infants and older adults.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Officials across the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England are continuing to develop options and plans based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice, regarding expanded respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programmes to protect infants and older adults.
This is taking into account clinical and operational factors, such as timing and coordination with other national immunisation programmes. As part of this work, the Government is engaging the market on its requirements for products that would enable RSV programmes to be implemented. A final decision on these programmes will be taken following the outcome of this process.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that businesses provide adequate respiratory protective equipment to people at risk of residual welding fume.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) require that businesses ensure that exposure to substances hazardous to health, like welding fume, are either prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled.
The key control measure should be the use of appropriate local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to extract welding fume from the work area. Where LEV is not reasonably practicable, for example in an outdoor environment, or where the LEV on its own cannot provide adequate control then the business has a duty to provide respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to control the residual risk.
The HSE conducts regular inspection campaigns targeting the industries where welding is prevalent. Part of the inspection is to check that welders have the appropriate RPE where required.
The COSHH Essentials Welding Sheet WL3 gives welders guidance on the appropriate type of mask and grade of filters, suitable for welding, Welding fume control (hse.gov.uk).
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting lists for echocardiograms.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for echocardiography, is one of the Government’s top priorities. £2.3 billion was awarded at the Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years. Most of this will help increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.
As of February 2024, there are 154 CDCs currently operational that have delivered over six million additional tests since July 2021, including large, standard and hub models. 69 of these CDCs are currently providing transthoracic echocardiograms, with 121 CDCs planning to do so by March 2025. NHS England is working to ensure all standard model CDCs include access to a range of cardiac and respiratory tests. As of December 2023, 7,750 echocardiography tests were carried out at CDCs.
NHS England is working to expand the echocardiography diagnostics workforce. Investment has been made in the training of cardiac and respiratory scientists, including significantly increasing the training supply of echocardiographers. An Echocardiography Training Programme has also been developed in collaboration with the British Society of Echocardiography. In the last two years, 130 individuals started on this programme, and it will continue to be used to increase numbers of accredited echocardiographers.
Additionally, NHS England has published guidance on the development of the Physiological Science Networks, including for echocardiography, to support the local coordination and transformation of physiological science services. This guidance provides integrated care boards with improvement approaches to address waiting times in physiological science services.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 impact of (a) mould and (b) damp on the long-term health of social housing tenants.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In September 2023 the Department of Health and Social Care, jointly with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and the UK Health Security Agency, published Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home, which is available on GOV.UK website. This guidance sets out the health risks of damp and mould, and the steps social and private landlords should take to address these issues.
The guidance indicates that damp and mould in the home may present a significant health risk to social housing tenants and can contribute to the development and worsening of respiratory conditions. Damp and mould can also affect the eyes and skin and contribute to fungal infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle (a) health inequalities and (b) social deprivation for people with (i) asthma and (ii) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is undertaking several actions related to the causes of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and to tackle health inequalities and social deprivation faced by people with those conditions.
Firstly, the Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of how we communicate air quality information to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups in particular, have the information they need to protect themselves and understand their impact on air quality. This review is being undertaken by the Air Quality Information Systems steering group, with the group’s recommendations being published in summer of 2024.
Furthermore, the Government is committed to reducing air pollution from all forms of transport, including PM2.5, the most harmful pollutant to human health. The Environmental Improvement Plan sets out transport measures that will help reduce emissions of air pollutants as we approach a decarbonised transport system. Our transport decarbonisation plan will deliver improved air quality from reduced tailpipe emissions as we move towards a fully electrified vehicle fleet. Alongside this, we are investing in cutting-edge research to understand how to better measure and control brake and tyre emissions, including from zero tailpipe emission vehicles.
The Government also has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. These include work to further join up employment and health systems, including rolling out Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, expanding the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care initiative, and reforming Occupational Health provision.
Finally, the NHS England’s Core20Plus5 approach has been developed to support integrated care systems to reduce inequalities. The approach focuses on improving cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity and mental health outcomes in the poorest 20% of the population, along with ethnic minorities and inclusion health groups.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 24 January (HL1768), how many of each of the categories of equipment contained in that answer (1) are being offered or have been offered for sale in the period up to 31 March, (2) have been destroyed, (3) are scheduled for destruction, and (4) have been donated, or will be donated, to medical charities for use overseas, including but not confined to Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The COVID Strategic ICU Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024.
Information on the money raised from the auction of equipment is not currently available. The following table shows the planned disposal routes for equipment within the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024:
| Holdings at December 2023 | Offered or offering for sale | Have been destroyed | Scheduled for destruction | Donated to medical charities for use overseas |
Enteral feed pumps | 1140 | 1025 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Humidifiers | 4714 | 1456 | 0 | 3258 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Anaesthetic | 53 | 17 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Emergency | 5093 | 1140 | 3159 | 792 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - ICU | 3083 | 3075 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Transport | 949 | 148 | 0 | 789 | 0 |
Non-invasive Ventilator (NIV) bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPaP) | 3339 | 3085 | 0 | 252 | 0 |
NIV continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) | 6682 | 0 | 702 | 5980 | 0 |
NIV high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) | 187 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oxygen concentrators | 2874 | 2861 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Oxygen regulators | 1564 | 1461 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Patient monitors | 2439 | 2353 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Suction pumps | 307 | 289 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Syringe drivers | 21319 | 8000 | 9318 | 3976 | 0 |
Volumetric pumps | 1588 | 1563 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 24 January (HL1768), how much money has been raised to date from the auction of equipment listed in that answer.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The COVID Strategic ICU Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024.
Information on the money raised from the auction of equipment is not currently available. The following table shows the planned disposal routes for equipment within the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024:
| Holdings at December 2023 | Offered or offering for sale | Have been destroyed | Scheduled for destruction | Donated to medical charities for use overseas |
Enteral feed pumps | 1140 | 1025 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Humidifiers | 4714 | 1456 | 0 | 3258 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Anaesthetic | 53 | 17 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Emergency | 5093 | 1140 | 3159 | 792 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - ICU | 3083 | 3075 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Transport | 949 | 148 | 0 | 789 | 0 |
Non-invasive Ventilator (NIV) bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPaP) | 3339 | 3085 | 0 | 252 | 0 |
NIV continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) | 6682 | 0 | 702 | 5980 | 0 |
NIV high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) | 187 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oxygen concentrators | 2874 | 2861 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Oxygen regulators | 1564 | 1461 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Patient monitors | 2439 | 2353 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Suction pumps | 307 | 289 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Syringe drivers | 21319 | 8000 | 9318 | 3976 | 0 |
Volumetric pumps | 1588 | 1563 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes: