Written questions by McMurdock.

What discussions his Department has had with public health officials on adverse side effects to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Each COVID-19 vaccine candidate is assessed by teams of scientists and clinicians on a case-by-case basis, and only authorised once it has met robust standards of effectiveness, safety, and quality set by the United Kingdom’s independent medicines’ regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). No medicine or vaccine is completely risk-free, but the MHRA continually monitors the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines through its comprehensive COVID-19 vaccine surveillance strategy to ensure that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh the risks. Should any information indicate a possible new safety concern, the system will rapidly and thoroughly investigate, with advice for healthcare professionals and patients updated where appropriate.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the support provided via the NHS England Recovery Support Programme (RSP) to the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation.

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is in segment four of the NHS Oversight Framework. This means that the trust is in receipt of national mandated support via NHS England’s Recovery Support Programme (RSP), led by senior and multidisciplinary te...

What recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of (a) adverse events and (b) rare side effects reported after receiving a covid-19 vaccine.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for monitoring all authorised medicines and vaccines in the United Kingdom, including COVID-19 vaccines, on an ongoing basis, to ensure their benefits continue to outweigh any risks. T...

Whether his Department plans to collaborate with (a) emergency services, (b) local councils and (c) charities to coordinate automated external defibrillator (i) installation and (ii) maintenance.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What steps his Department is taking to educate the public about the (a) use and (b) availability of defibrillators.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What plans his Department has to improve (a) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and (b) automated external defibrillator training for the public (i) in residential areas and (ii) generally.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What plans his Department has to ensure access to defibrillators in (a) rural areas and (b) areas where ambulance response times are longer.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What steps he is taking to ensure the (a) long-term maintenance and (b) functionality of publicly accessible defibrillators.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) mandating and (b) incentivising the inclusion of defibrillators in (i) existing housing estates and (ii) urban developments.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What steps his Department is taking with housing developers to support (a) the installation of automated external defibrillators and (b) other public health initiatives.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of automated external defibrillators in (a) residential areas where cardiac arrests are most prevalent and (b) other residential are

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of integrating new automated external defibrillators into existing national databases to help increase (a) the accessibility and (b)

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, t...

What steps he is taking to help ensure value for money in (a) medicines and (b) medical supplies in the NHS.

Processes are in place to ensure that new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources before they are routinely funded by the National Health Service in England. New licensed medicines are evaluated by the National Institute for H...

What steps his Department is taking to help improve mental health services in Essex.

People with mental health issues in Essex are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why we will fix the system to ensure that mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in acces...

What steps he is taking to increase the number of GPs in Essex.

We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, including in Essex, which will increase capacity and take pressure off those currently working in the system. NHS England is working to address training bottlenec...

What progress his Department has made on reducing waiting lists for planned care in Essex.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We will deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, equivalent to 40,000 per week, in our first year, as part of our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated...

What steps his Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of dentists in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. We are exploring how we can better support the whole dental team to work in NHS dentis...

What steps he is taking to improve palliative and end of life care in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including Mid and South Essex ICB, which covers the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, must commission. This promotes a more consistent national appr...

How many people are employed by NHS England in roles relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity.

There are 34 individuals out of around 16,000 full-time equivalent staff who are employed by NHS England in roles relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity. NHS England provides services that are available for all, and good equality, diversity and i...

What steps his Department is taking to help improve palliative care.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a b...