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Category: Health

  • Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on Covid-19 Clinical Trials

    Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on Covid-19 Clinical Trials

    The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 September 2021.

    The UK has been a trailblazer in clinical trials during the pandemic and we must harness that progress to fight future health threats.

    If those who go above and beyond by taking part in clinical trials are disadvantaged in activities such as overseas travel, it threatens the future of medical break-throughs and our ability to combat health threats.

    Participants put themselves forward to benefit the global community and without them, the lives of millions of people worldwide would be in danger due to a lack of progress on new treatments and vaccines.

    I will be urging my G20 health ministerial counterparts to stand up for the rights of those who have helped protect us all and ensure they can live their lives unhindered.

  • Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on the Third Vaccine

    Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on the Third Vaccine

    The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 August 2021.

    Vaccines have built a strong wall of defence in the UK and this is allowing most of us to learn to live safely with COVID-19.

    We know some people may get less protection from the vaccine than others, so we are planning for a booster programme in the Autumn, prioritising those most at risk.

    This new study will play an important role in helping to shape the deployment of future vaccines doses for these specific at-risk groups.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Health Visitors Petition

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Health Visitors Petition

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Health Secretary, on 23 August 2021.

    Children’s health and well-being should be an absolute priority for ministers, especially after these last 18 months. Health Visitors are central to making sure the health of every child matters.

    Instead, health visitor numbers have been cut and ministers have dismissed the concerns of those calling for health visitors to be given the backing and resources needed.

  • Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on National Antibody Testing

    Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on National Antibody Testing

    The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 22 August 2021.

    Our new national antibody testing will be quick and easy to take part in, and by doing so you’ll be helping strengthen our understanding of COVID-19 as we cautiously return to a more normal life.

    I’m proud to see all parts of the UK uniting around this new initiative and working together to arm ourselves with even more valuable insights into how COVID-19 vaccines are protecting people up and down the UK.

    Our phenomenal vaccination programme continues to build a massive wall of defence across the country – already preventing around 24 million infections and more than 100,000 deaths in England alone. I urge everyone across the UK to get both vaccinations as soon as possible.

  • Lindsay Hoyle – 2021 Statement on Government Not Announcing NHS Pay Rise in Commons

    Lindsay Hoyle – 2021 Statement on Government Not Announcing NHS Pay Rise in Commons

    The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 22 July 2021.

    Before I call the Minister to make his statement, I have to say that I am far from happy that yesterday the House heard from a Health Minister giving an update with no mention at all of the NHS pay deal, which is a point of great political interest. I find it hard to believe that any negotiations were still going on beyond that time. I urge the Government again to ensure that the House is the first, not the last, to know. It is not my fault that the Secretary of State got pinged, and if he wants to make announcements from his garden, he can do so, but somebody could have been here and Ministers could have shared that information with us. Glorying in the sunshine should not detract from this House hearing an announcement when it is made. It matters to all of us—we all have hospitals in our constituencies, and we all have constituents who work for the NHS, so the clear message once again is that this House should be told. Now then, let us come to a man who has come to the House to make a statement. I call Minister Nadhim Zahawi to make a statement.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on NHS Pay Rise

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on NHS Pay Rise

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 22 July 2021.

    In a sleight of hand Sajid Javid is refusing to back up the £2.2 billion pay settlement with the cash needed, instead expecting overstretched hospitals to find this extra money.

    The NHS is in a summer crisis with rising Covid admissions, cancer operations cancelled, emergency demand intensifying and ambulance trusts under pressure.

    The NHS needs a fully funded plan to provide quality care, and bring ballooning waiting lists down. Alongside this, Ministers must provide the NHS with the extra investment required to give staff a pay rise.

  • Vicky Ford – 2021 Comments on Autism

    Vicky Ford – 2021 Comments on Autism

    The comments made by Vicky Ford, the Minister for Children and Families, on 21 July 2021.

    Many people who have autism face unacceptable barriers in every aspect of their lives – in health, employment and still too often in their education. I’m proud that the new Autism Strategy will, for the first time ever, also consider how to better support autistic children and young people’s access to education.

    A huge part of how we can address the inequalities that these children and young people face is by increasing our awareness and understanding of their needs, and tailoring the support available to them. Working closely with the healthcare services, we can level up outcomes for autistic young people in generations to come.

  • Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on Autism

    Sajid Javid – 2021 Comments on Autism

    The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 21 July 2021.

    Improving the lives of autistic people is a priority and this new strategy, backed by almost £75 million in the first year, will help us create a society that truly understands and includes autistic people in all aspects of life. It will reduce diagnosis waiting times for children and adults and improve community support for autistic people. This is crucial in reducing the health inequalities they face, and the unacceptable life expectancy gap that exists today.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Covid-19

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Covid-19

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, on 19 July 2021.

    Firstly can I say of course people have the right to protest against a lockdown that no longer exists, but will he join me in condemning the ugly scenes of harassment, pushing, thuggishness, throwing of objects and intimidation directed at police officers outside on Parliament Square earlier?

    On vaccinating adolescents, The MHRA have approved the Pfizer Jab for 12–18-year-olds. The US, Canada, Israel, France, Austria, Spain, and Hong Kong have started or will start vaccinating 12 -18 year olds.

    Risk of death to children from covid is mercifully very low. But children can become very sick from and develop long covid. According to the ONS 14.5% of children aged 12-16 have symptoms lasting longer than 5 weeks.

    Can he spell out in detail the clinical basis as to why the JCVI have made this decision, will he publish all their analysis and can he guarantee this decision was made on medical grounds not on grounds of vaccine supply?

    Infections levels among children have been hugely disruptive for learning. So what is his plan for September when children return to school? Will he support schools to install air filtration units this summer?

    Testing is already stretched with turnaround times lengthening. Can he guarantee that through the summer – especially when contacts can be released from isolation on the back of a negative PCR, and September when schools return, will there be sufficient PCR testing capacity to meet demand?

    We anticipate more flu and respiratory virus – illnesses with overlapping symptoms to covid. Will he invest now in our testing capacity so alongside a covid test it will be possible to test for flu and RSV as well? We will need this multi-pathogen testing this winter.

    Three weeks ago the Health Secretary told us unlocking would make us healthier and promised it would be irreversible. But today with some of the highest infection case rates in the world the mayor from jaws has decided to reopen the beaches recklessly throwing off of all restrictions with no safety precautions in place like mandatory mask wearing.

    It risks re-imposing new restrictions in the future. It means the NHS facing a summer crisis.

    Admissions for covid are already 550 a day. And hospitals are cancelling cancer surgery; liver transplant operation cancelled at Birmingham.

    Throwing all restrictions like this will see thousands suffer serious long term illness. The clinically vulnerable and scared are feeling shut out of society.

    Selection pressure could see a new variant setting us back and evading vaccines – snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. More infections, mean more isolation.

    NHS staff will be released from isolation if doubled jabbed. But they and the patients they care for need protection, so will he upgrade the standards of masks to FFP3 for health care workers?

    Which brings me to Prime Minister and Chancellor who sought to dodge isolation. So can he tell us how this “random” clinical trial that so helpfully “randomly” selected the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was set up?

    What exactly happened between 8.00am and 10.38 am on Sunday, that persuaded the Prime Minister and Chancellor to withdraw from this presumably valuable clinical ‘random’ study? How many other ministers have participated in this trial? And how many government departments and officials were involved and why? Or should we just simply conclude its one rule for Tory ministers and another for the rest of us?

  • Justin Madders – 2021 Comments on Dominic Cummings Interview

    Justin Madders – 2021 Comments on Dominic Cummings Interview

    The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 20 July 2021.

    NHS staff who have gone above and beyond in the pandemic to keep us safe, patients who have seen their treatment delayed and the many families who have lost loved ones to Covid will find these remarks shocking and difficult to hear.

    The revelations are further evidence that the Prime Minister has made the wrong calls time and again at the expense of public health. The chaos, delay and incompetence at the heart of government is costing lives and harming the economy. Boris Johnson is reckless, unfit to govern and a public inquiry cannot be delayed.