The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) National report on dermatology was completed in 2020 but has not yet been published, therefore we have not made this assessment. The report will be published later this year, once NHS England and NHS Improvement have reviewed the recommendations.

We have made no proposals in our public health reforms to make changes to the role of local environmental health professionals.

The Northern Ireland Protocol has resulted in the European Union Medical Device Regulation (MDR) (2017/745) and the EU In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) (2017/746) taking direct effect in Northern Ireland on 26 May 2020 and 26 May 2022 respectively. In its guidance on the application of EU MDR and EU IVDR in Northern Ireland, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has included the definition of a ‘health institution’ as determined by the EU.

The UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (as amended) does not define ‘health institution’. As a result, the MHRA has provided its own interpretation, which was set out in MHRA guidance on in vitro diagnostic medical devices when it was first published in August 2013. The MHRA continues to rely on this interpretation of the definition for Great Britain and this has not been altered in subsequent updates. However, this issue will be considered during the review of medical devices regulation taking place later this year.

We are committed to consult shortly on our intention to make companies provide calorie labelling on all pre-packaged alcohol they sell. The consultation will include further details about the proposed timescale for implementation of the policy.

A system for deemed consent, known as ‘opt-out’, was introduced in England from May 2020, to make deceased organ donation the default position. NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked together to implement the new United Kingdom-wide organ donation and transplantation strategy. NHS Blood and Transplant has launched communication campaigns and partnerships to address barriers, such as the ‘Leave Them Certain’ campaign and the Community Investment Scheme and promotes organ donation at events such as Organ Donation Week and the Transplant Games.

In addition, NHS Blood and Transplant has introduced prompts for organ donation when applying for a driving licence or taxing a car. Teaching resources have been provided in all state-funded secondary schools for blood, organ and stem cell donation.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are considering a 12 hour measure in emergency departments as part of its clinically-led review of standards and have undertaken a public consultation. They will respond in due course. All emergency departments are collecting data.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are considering a 12 hour measure in emergency departments as part of its clinically-led review of standards and have undertaken a public consultation. They will respond in due course. All emergency departments are collecting data.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s planning guidance 2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance published on 25 March 2021 includes guidance to progress the work already underway through the same day emergency care (SDEC) programmes. This guidance includes that systems should:

- maximise the utilisation of direct referral from NHS 111 to other hospital services including SDEC and specialty hot clinics and implement referral pathways from NHS 111 to urgent community and mental health services; and

- adopt a consistent, expanded, model of SDEC provision, including associated acute frailty services, within all providers with a type 1 emergency department to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

A copy of the planning guidance is attached.

We will continue to support the National Health Service in taking action to help reduce pressures on hospital bed capacity and increase patient flow through the emergency care pathway. This includes action within community services to help avoid unnecessary emergency admissions and the enhanced patient discharge arrangements which the NHS estimates has reduced long lengths of stay, increasing capacity to the equivalent of over 6,000 beds.

We do not currently publish specific figures for domiciliary carers or hospice staff who provide care at home.

It is for local authorities to decide where to introduce testing in their areas and which cohorts testing will cover, including funeral workers. In addition to local authorities, NHS Test and Trace will also work closely with other Government departments to increase workplace testing for medium and large organisations within their sectors.

The NHS People Plan is a shared programme of work to increase the workforce, support new ways of working and develop a compassionate and inclusive workplace culture in order to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan. We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England (HEE) and with systems and employers to determine our workforce and people priorities beyond April 2021 to support the recovery of National Health Service staff and services.

HEE has also worked proactively with system partners to address service pressures in emergency department teams. We have almost doubled the number of core trainees and consultants in emergency medicine since 2010. HEE will continue to work with service providers, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and NHS England to understand and discuss the recommendations in this latest Royal College of Emergency Medicine briefing.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The current National Health Service infection prevention control principles are applicable to all healthcare staff in all healthcare settings.

These set out safe systems of working including administrative, environmental and engineering controls and interventions to reduce the risk of transmission of infection. This includes cleaning and decontamination of the environment and shared equipment, social/physical distancing, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment and ventilation.

Throughout the pandemic, the safety of all staff, patients and visitors has been a priority for the National Health Service.

It is for individual hospital trusts to carry out continual risk assessments of their premises and to put appropriate measures in place such as distancing, sanitising stations and the use of face coverings and other protective equipment to help minimise the spread of the COVID-19 virus, in line with nationally published guidance. This includes busy areas like accident and emergency departments, corridors and patient areas such wards and clinics.

Throughout the pandemic, the safety of all staff, patients and visitors has been a priority for the National Health Service.

It is for individual hospital trusts to carry out continual risk assessments of their premises and to put appropriate measures in place such as distancing, sanitising stations and the use of face coverings and other protective equipment to help minimise the spread of the COVID-19 virus, in line with nationally published guidance. This includes busy areas like accident and emergency departments, corridors and patient areas such wards and clinics.

Public Health England’s Health Protection Teams (HPTs) undertake tier 1 contact tracing and have a key role in investigating workplace outbreaks; this includes in the funeral services industry.

In line with other essential services, COVID-19 cases working in the funeral sector are not automatically escalated to HPTs. If contact tracing results in staffing levels, due to high numbers of staff being asked to self-isolate, that jeopardise the continued functioning of their essential service then the employers are advised to discuss with the local HPT who can review the risk assessment in this light

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who provide advice to Government on which vaccine(s) the United Kingdom should use, and which groups to prioritise. Whilst there is a desire for the whole UK population to be vaccinated, there may need to be an element of prioritisation - based on availability, evidence on safety and efficacy in different population groups and constraints in supply.

The committee – in their interim advice - have advised that for Phase 1, the vaccine first be given to care home residents and staff, followed by people over 80 and health and social workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors in the initial phase. We will consider the Committee’s advice carefully as further data emerges in preparation for Phase 2 including for critical workers in other essential sectors. Our vaccination programmes are led by the latest scientific evidence and we expect the Committee’s advice to develop as more evidence is gathered.

The Department, in consultation with the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies, is working with trade bodies, product suppliers, and the health and care system to make detailed plans to help ensure continued supply of medicines, medical products and equipment to the whole of the United Kingdom at the end of the transition period.