This week in Parliament w/c 9th December

Welcome back to the APPG on Pharmacy weekly Parliamentary update. Set out below is a summary of key parliamentary and policy developments in community pharmacy from the week just gone.

Announcements

NHS Winter vaccine bookings surge following flu ‘tidal wave’ warning

Thousands more people in England booked their winter vaccines yesterday (Thursday) after the NHS warned of a “tidal wave” of flu and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals. 

Key outtakes from the NHS England update include:

  • Thousands of people in England have booked their winter vaccines following an NHS warning about a surge in flu and other seasonal viruses.

  • Flu and COVID-19 vaccine bookings through the NHS national booking system more than doubled in one day, with a substantial increase in hospital cases leading to heightened demand for vaccines.

  • Eligible individuals are urged to book their vaccinations by 19 December at their local health service provider, including pharmacies.

  • The flu vaccine is crucial for preventing severe illness during the peak winter months and is offered in different forms based on age and medical conditions.

  • The NHS is also offering the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for pregnant women from 28 weeks and older adults aged 75 to 79 for the first time.

Key Parliamentary Activity

Oral Contributions

There were no oral contribution relating to pharmacy in either House this week.

Written Questions:

There were 11  written questions mentioning Pharmacy answered in the House of Commons  and House of Lords this week. These can be viewed on Hansard here.