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My Lords, having had the analysis of the results of incredibly extensive clinical trials on the use of GLP-1s to treat dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, this is an incredibly exciting potential development. Will the Minister please share with the House what the Government are doing to prepare diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease, so that those with the disease can be ready for this exciting treatment?
My Lords, having had the analysis of the results of incredibly extensive clinical trials on the use of GLP-1s to treat dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, this is an incredibly exciting potential development. Will the Minister please share with the House what the Government are doing to prepare diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease, so that those with the disease can be ready for this exciting treatment?
The noble Lord is right to identify what are exciting developments in this area. We are investing in dementia research across all areas. That includes causes and diagnosis, as well as prevention, treatment, care and support, including for carers—I think it is important to identify the wide range. In preparation, we are ensuring that clinical trials are maximised and that reductions in waiting times happen. As I said, through the modern service framework we will be looking at the arrangements as a whole, which will give the useful range of direction that we need to address the point that the noble Lord made.
I will always be grateful to the Minister for his historic observations about GDP per capita. But what is the current GDP per capita, and how is its growth developing over time? Will the Minister please acknowledge that efforts on these Benches on the planning Bill are constructive, supportive and well within the bounds of reasonable parliamentary scrutiny?
I will always be grateful to the Minister for his historic observations about GDP per capita. But what is the current GDP per capita, and how is its growth developing over time? Will the Minister please acknowledge that efforts on these Benches on the planning Bill are constructive, supportive and well within the bounds of reasonable parliamentary scrutiny?
I do not think the noble Lord’s comments about the planning Bill would stand up to a moment’s scrutiny in the outside world. In answer to his specific question, GDP per capita is forecast by the OBR to rise by 5.6% over the course of this Parliament.
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the process and criteria for triggering an economic impact assessment of a new disease in the Treasury; and whether they are undertaking an assessment of the suitability of that process and criteria against long Covid, as a condition that did not exist five...
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the process and criteria for triggering an economic impact assessment of a new disease in the Treasury; and whether they are undertaking an assessment of the suitability of that process and criteria against long Covid, as a condition that did not exist five...
HM Treasury has a comprehensive framework for assessing and managing potential risks to the economic and fiscal outlook, including those posed by new diseases. This framework involves systematic monitoring through internal risk monitors, risk governance forums, and collaboration with other government departments such as the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). In escalatory scenarios, such as where a new disease with high transmission rates emerges, HM Treasury is prepared to conduct economic impact assessments to inform policy and response plans.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, HM Treasury officials engaged with other Government departments to consider the implications of long COVID, including assisting with preparations for the DHSC long COVID Oversight Board. HM Treasury will provide more information on its efforts to understand the economic implications of long COVID-19 to the ongoing COVID-19 inquiry.
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the process and criteria for triggering an economic impact assessment of a new disease in the Department of Health and Social Care; and whether they are undertaking an assessment of the suitability of that process and criteria against long Covid, as a condition...
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the process and criteria for triggering an economic impact assessment of a new disease in the Department of Health and Social Care; and whether they are undertaking an assessment of the suitability of that process and criteria against long Covid, as a condition...
The Government understands the scale of the challenge presented by long COVID, which is also felt on employment and the economy.
NHS England established over 100 long COVID services for adults, and for children and young people. These assess people with long COVID and direct them into appropriate care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment.
The Government has also invested over £57 million into long COVID research. The projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, and to evaluate clinical care.
The Department regularly reviews evidence on the health and economic impact of diseases and conditions. Where appropriate, this evidence is used to produce impact assessments which inform the development of new policies to address the needs of the population.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the impact of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice for the Spring and Autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme on the delivery of their core health shifts.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the impact of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice for the Spring and Autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme on the delivery of their core health shifts.
Vaccination plays an important role in the Government’s Plan for Change and the Health Mission, including in the shift from sickness to prevention. The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the approach to vaccination and immunisation.
The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness, namely hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025 and spring 2026. This advice is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online-only format.
On 12 December 2024, the Government accepted the JCVI advice that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in spring 2025 to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months and over. Eligibility for the spring 2025 campaign is the same as in previous spring campaigns.
The JCVI also advised on eligibility for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve transparency in the decision-making processes of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; and whether this includes publishing detailed evidence underlying its recommendations.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve transparency in the decision-making processes of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; and whether this includes publishing detailed evidence underlying its recommendations.
As per the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) code of practice, committee minutes are published within six weeks of the meeting, via its webpage. These minutes outline the information presented to members and summarise the considerations and discussion. The JCVI also publishes advice statements on the GOV.UK website, and these statements outline the advice given and the rationale.
Where possible, data considered by the committee is referenced in minutes and statements. On occasion, data reviewed by the committee may remain unpublished when the minutes are released. This could be due to the data being new, sensitive, or subject to confidentiality. For transparency and public interest, the JCVI encourages all researchers who present to the committee to publish data once appropriate.
To ask His Majesty's Government how their vaccination policies are being aligned with broader public health outcomes, beyond immediate capacity savings in the NHS.
To ask His Majesty's Government how their vaccination policies are being aligned with broader public health outcomes, beyond immediate capacity savings in the NHS.
Vaccination plays an important role in the Government’s Plan for Change and Health Mission, including in the shift from sickness to prevention. The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, with expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, to design, implement, and deliver 17 programmes offering high levels of long-term protection. These include seasonal and routine programmes as set out in the national schedule.
Our vaccination and immunisation programmes therefore support multiple public health objectives, including contributing to efforts to eliminate or eradicate disease, prevent outbreaks of infectious disease, reduce the burden of ill-health, and to reduce health inequalities, for example by ensuring that targeted outreach can offer vaccinations to underserved populations.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evolve the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's methods to assess the broader socio-economic benefits of vaccination.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evolve the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's methods to assess the broader socio-economic benefits of vaccination.
As an independent Departmental Expert Committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on matters related to vaccination and immunisation. The JCVI bases its advice and recommendations on evidence of the burden of disease, of vaccine safety and efficacy, and of the impact and cost effectiveness of immunisation strategies.
Broader socio-economic factors, such as productivity costs from illness, improved educational attainment from reduced school absences, and out-of-pocket expenses and opportunity costs from attending a vaccination, are not included in the cost-effective analysis which is presented to the JCVI for its consideration. However, these impacts may be highlighted by the JCVI to inform policy-making.
The Minister says that we are determined to learn the lessons of Covid. During Covid we had vaccination rates of 90% but, as she said, only 16 million—just 25%—of our citizens have had the flu jab and vaccination rates among children are also deteriorating at a rate. I say this with some personal interest because there was an outbreak of the quad-demic in my own household at 2 am today. There are three times as many people in hospital today with flu than in this week last year. Can the Minister please explain what she is doing to increase vaccination rates, particularly among children?
The Minister says that we are determined to learn the lessons of Covid. During Covid we had vaccination rates of 90% but, as she said, only 16 million—just 25%—of our citizens have had the flu jab and vaccination rates among children are also deteriorating at a rate. I say this with some personal interest because there was an outbreak of the quad-demic in my own household at 2 am today. There are three times as many people in hospital today with flu than in this week last year. Can the Minister please explain what she is doing to increase vaccination rates, particularly among children?
We are aiming communications —I know the noble Lord will be familiar with this from his previous role—particularly at groups that are less represented in terms of vaccinations. From my discussions with the national medical director, I do not recognise the reference that the noble Lord made to hospitalisations; they are as I set out in the Answer to my noble friend. However, we are far from complacent and continue to push vaccination. We will get vaccination rates up because they are the best line of defence against infectious diseases.
My Lords, following the appointment last year of Professor John Deanfield as the champion for personalised care, can my noble friend the Minister please update the House on the progress of his report on radical approaches to prevent life-threatening cardio- vascular disease?
My Lords, following the appointment last year of Professor John Deanfield as the champion for personalised care, can my noble friend the Minister please update the House on the progress of his report on radical approaches to prevent life-threatening cardio- vascular disease?
I will need to come back in writing to my noble friend on this. I take this opportunity to thank him for his work on the Times Health Commission and for generally pushing forward the whole prevention agenda.
I congratulate all noble Lords who joined me this morning on the five-kilometre fun run in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the NHS. It was a tremendous event and all those involved greatly enjoyed themselves. With that in mind, will my noble friend explain what the NHS is doing today to reduce the incredible pressures on doctors and nurses from the huge amount of sickness in the country and what it is doing to make Britain healthier in order to reduce those pressures?
I congratulate all noble Lords who joined me this morning on the five-kilometre fun run in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the NHS. It was a tremendous event and all those involved greatly enjoyed themselves. With that in mind, will my noble friend explain what the NHS is doing today to reduce the incredible pressures on doctors and nurses from the huge amount of sickness in the country and what it is doing to make Britain healthier in order to reduce those pressures?
As my noble friend says, wellness is about a lot more than treatment in hospitals. That is why I was so pleased by the long-term workforce plan, which recognises the importance of primary care and, especially, prevention—the use of our whole wellness through social prescribing and keeping fit through things such as fun runs, which is important for keeping people and staff well. As part of that, we are working on the technology front, because a lot of the frustration of doctors is that they spend so much time not seeing patients but filling in paperwork and forms. Earlier this week, I saw all the changes Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is making so that doctors can be where they want to be—in front of patients and caring for them.
My Lords, many of the measures to combat dirty air require international collaboration to make them effective on supply chains and measures in areas such as energy and transport. What are the Government doing to encourage international collaboration?
My Lords, many of the measures to combat dirty air require international collaboration to make them effective on supply chains and measures in areas such as energy and transport. What are the Government doing to encourage international collaboration?
My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right that pollutants blow in from abroad, and we have to work with our neighbours to ensure that an outcome to that issue is achieved. I have just come back from Montreal, where we have negotiated a landmark international agreement which will, if properly implemented, have effects on people right across the world and improve the ability of nature to protect us and our health.
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the objectives of the MedTech Directorate of the Department of Health and Social Care; and when they intend to publish the (1) strategy, and (2) workplan, for achieving those objectives.
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the objectives of the MedTech Directorate of the Department of Health and Social Care; and when they intend to publish the (1) strategy, and (2) workplan, for achieving those objectives.
The Directorate aims to ensure that the health and care system has a resilient supply chain for safe and high quality products, provides value for money, embeds sustainability, has access to and adoption of innovative products and a managed transition for medical technology issues following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Directorate has engaged with industry on the Medtech strategy, which is due to be published shortly and is establishing a governing board to oversee the strategy’s implementation. Further information on the implementation of the strategy will be available early in the new year.
My noble friend is entirely right that the technology offers benefits, but the health infrastructure plan, promised some time ago, has not yet been published. That will outline the framework for investment in the technology he mentions. When will the update be published?
My noble friend is entirely right that the technology offers benefits, but the health infrastructure plan, promised some time ago, has not yet been published. That will outline the framework for investment in the technology he mentions. When will the update be published?
My noble friend will be aware from when he was a Minister that there were other priorities in tackling Covid, trying to get a vaccine and procuring much-needed equipment. This was therefore all delayed, but we are now working with stakeholders to ensure that the updated capital strategy sets a clear direction for the system, taking into account significant events since the first publication. The multiyear settlement confirmed for 2021 allows us to take the next step forward. We expect the paper to be published at some time in 2022.
My Lords, the financial sanctions on those supporting Putin may well lead to a flight to crypto among those trying to squirrel away their assets. Can my noble friend the Minister please reassure us that the regulations due shortly that will oversee these sanctions will have in them provisions for crypto?
My Lords, the financial sanctions on those supporting Putin may well lead to a flight to crypto among those trying to squirrel away their assets. Can my noble friend the Minister please reassure us that the regulations due shortly that will oversee these sanctions will have in them provisions for crypto?
Crypto assets are classed as funds or economic resources for the purposes of financial sanctions restrictions. Circumvention of financial sanctions by any means, including use of crypto assets, is a criminal offence.
My Lords, shoot owners contribute £250 million and volunteers contribute 3.9 million volunteering days every year. What assessment has the department made of the value of this contribution to our country’s environment?
My Lords, shoot owners contribute £250 million and volunteers contribute 3.9 million volunteering days every year. What assessment has the department made of the value of this contribution to our country’s environment?
There are various data sources about the value of shooting to the wider rural economy. There are, of course, other measures that have shown the wider conservation benefits of properly managed countryside. In order for lapwing numbers to thrive,
you need to be fledging 0.7 chicks per pair. It is very interesting to see where, in the country, that is being achieved and where it is not.
My Lords, antivirals have shown their efficacy against HIV, hepatitis C, influenza, and now, thanks to the Eddie Gray Antivirals Taskforce, against Covid—but they work only if they attack the disease at the very earliest stage, often before symptoms even manifest themselves. We are going to see a great investment in antivirals, so what steps is the NHS taking to adapt to this new form of medicine distribution and to get antivirals into the hands of patients at the earliest possible stage? Five days simply is not early enough.
My Lords, antivirals have shown their efficacy against HIV, hepatitis C, influenza, and now, thanks to the Eddie Gray Antivirals Taskforce, against Covid—but they work only if they attack the disease at the very earliest stage, often before symptoms even manifest themselves. We are going to see a great investment in antivirals, so what steps is the NHS taking to adapt to this new form of medicine distribution and to get antivirals into the hands of patients at the earliest possible stage? Five days simply is not early enough.
I thank my noble friend for all the work that he put in during his time as the relevant Minister in pushing the Antiviral Taskforce and ensuring the rollout of these antivirals. Since December, patients who are eligible and receive a positive PCR result are referred for treatment into a Covid medicines delivery unit. In addition, the UK Health Security Agency has sent PCR tests to around 1.3 million patients who are eligible for antivirals—bearing in mind what the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, said, which I need to look into. We are also working with the devolved Administrations to look at whether the NHS could deploy antivirals to a wider group of patients, with an emphasis on rapid identification and treatment, and assuming that we see positive results from the Panoramic trial.
My Lords, Twitter says it would never knowingly market to minors, yet our experience and the report make it clear that that just does not work. Some people want to see these adverts, but I come back to the question of opt-ins and ask the Minister if he will commit to an opt-in protocol for advertising for gambling.
My Lords, Twitter says it would never knowingly market to minors, yet our experience and the report make it clear that that just does not work. Some people want to see these adverts, but I come back to the question of opt-ins and ask the Minister if he will commit to an opt-in protocol for advertising for gambling.
My noble friend tempts me to pre-empt the work of the Gambling Act review, which is ongoing. It is certainly looking at issues such as that.
My Lords, perinatal mental health issues cost the NHS and social services £8 billion a year, much of that because of the impacts on children, yet half of such cases go undiagnosed and even those who are diagnosed rarely get evidence-based treatment. We welcome the women’s health strategy, but what more is being done to address this frequently overlooked cause of misery and sometimes death?
My Lords, perinatal mental health issues cost the NHS and social services £8 billion a year, much of that because of the impacts on children, yet half of such cases go undiagnosed and even those who are diagnosed rarely get evidence-based treatment. We welcome the women’s health strategy, but what more is being done to address this frequently overlooked cause of misery and sometimes death?
This is such a distressing time for all mothers. They have babies and expect things to be very special and magical but so often discover the opposite. We must make sure that things are put in place to help them. As of April 2019, all areas in England now have comprehensive specialist community perinatal mental health services in place, which saw 30,700 people in 2020-21, re-expanding access to psychological and talking therapies with specialist perinatal mental health services. This will see 26 hubs, with 10 new hubs in the process of being set up and the rest due to open in April 2022. These hubs will offer treatment for a range of mental health issues, from postnatal depression to severe fear of childbirth to around 6,000 new parents in the first year. The new centres will also provide specialist training for maternity staff and midwives, as well as services for reproductive health and bereavement.
My Lords, I entirely welcome the Minister’s assertion that much of what is great about the NHS is the collaboration with international partners and the private sector. During the pandemic, many things that went well, including the vaccine, relied on that. With a special session of the World Health Assembly next week to discuss new global agreements on pandemic preparedness, what steps will the department be taking to foster international and business collaboration?
My Lords, I entirely welcome the Minister’s assertion that much of what is great about the NHS is the collaboration with international partners and the private sector. During the pandemic, many things that went well, including the vaccine, relied on that. With a special session of the World Health Assembly next week to discuss new global agreements on pandemic preparedness, what steps will the department be taking to foster international and business collaboration?
I thank my noble friend for that important question. International engagement remains crucial to tackling the pandemic and ensuring future resilience. In my first few weeks in the job, I have had a number of meetings, at bilateral, G7 and other levels, to make sure that we are fostering international health partnerships. “It is also really important that we understand the contribution the private sector can make towards making the NHS better for all of us.” Those are the words of Alan Milburn, also a former Labour politician.