UK House of Lords/ House of Commons Questions

Sorcha Eastwood Alliance, Lagan Valley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Northern Ireland Department of Health on working together on (a) research and (b) treatment for people with long covid.

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Department has not had any specific discussions in relation to working together on research and treatment for long COVID with Northern Ireland’s Department of Health.

The Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR, through the Department, has had an arrangement with the devolved administrations, including in Northern Ireland, since 2008, based on investments from each nation that has allowed research hosts, including universities and research active National Health Service organisations, to apply for NIHR funding through the majority of our research programmes. This enables devolved nation-based researchers to lead studies across the range of health and social care priorities, and, importantly, allows more people to participate in an expanded range of research initiatives.
 
Jonathan Davies Labour, Mid Derbyshire
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with the University of Derby on the development of the drug Remdesivir for the treatment of long Covid.

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
We are aware of the University of Derby’s study looking at the use of the drug Remdesivir for the treatment of long COVID, however officials have not discussed the study with the research team. The study is being managed by the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit. Since 2008, the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, has funded clinical trials units in England to support developments in the design and delivery of efficient and innovative research. We will follow the progress of the study to understand the implications for policy and practice.
 
Jonathan Davies Labour, Mid Derbyshire
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support people living with long covid, (b) retain the services provided by the long covid clinic and (c) develop systems of treatment and diagnosis to identify long covid.

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess adults, children, and young people who are experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.

These services offer physical, cognitive, and psychological assessment, and, where appropriate, refer patients onto existing services for treatment and rehabilitation. More information can be found via the NHS website at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

The commissioning and service provision of long COVID services are the responsibility of local ICBs, which are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local needs and priorities and to improve outcomes.

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded 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, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.
 
Alison Hume Labour, Scarborough and Whitby
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to help ensure that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are followed by NHS staff.

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are not mandatory, but the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account when designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time. NHS England remains committed to supporting integrated care boards to ensure equitable access and evidence-based care. This partnership will support the integration of best practices and insights to enhance service quality and consistency across the system.

There are steps that the Government is taking to improve care for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). It is a priority for the Department to publish the final ME/CFS delivery plan by the end of June 2025. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. The responses to the interim delivery plan consultation, along with continued close engagement with other parts of the Government, the National Health Service, and external stakeholders including the NICE, will inform the development of the final ME/CFS delivery plan.
 
Alison Hume Labour, Scarborough and Whitby
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a whole host of issues across our brief, including myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including ME/CFS. These 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. Welcoming applications on ME/CFS to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Together with the Medical Research Council, which is part of UK Research and Innovation, we are actively exploring the next steps for research in ME/CFS, and we will outline further research actions as part of the final ME/CFS Delivery Plan, which we aim to publish by the end of June. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. This will outline the additional support we will offer to the research community to increase the volume and quality of applications and, therefore, increase the allocation of funding to this area.
 
Alison Hume Labour, Scarborough and Whitby
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will publish the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) Delivery Plan.

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
We aim to publish our myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan by the end of June 2025.

The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. The responses to the interim delivery plan consultation, along with continued close engagement with other parts of the Government, the National Health Service, and external stakeholders, will inform the development of the final ME/CFS delivery plan.
 
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