News Andy Burnham MP for Leigh

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21/07/2009 - Swine Flu update

Andy Burnham's statement to the House of Commons - Monday, 20th July 2009.

"With permission, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the AH1Nl swine flu pandemic. I wish to do three things today: to update the House on the spread of the virus, to provide additional details about the launch of the national pandemic flu service, and to set out how Members in all parts of the House will be kept informed during the summer recess.

In recent weeks, we have discovered a great deal more about the swine flu virus. While it has spread quickly, the virus has not become more dangerous. For the vast majority, swine flu remains a mild and self-limiting illness—and let me be clear: our advice to the public about dealing with it has not changed. However, as the number of cases rises, it is understandable that people are becoming more concerned, and all organisations have a role to play in providing reassuring, consistent and clear advice.

First, I wish to deal directly with advice to pregnant women, which, again, has not changed since the outbreak began. The chief medical officer says that most pregnant women with swine flu will get only mild symptoms, but pregnancy brings a higher risk of complications. Bearing these risks in mind, at present mothers-to-be are advised to continue normal activities such as going to work, travelling on public transport, and attending events and family gatherings. However, they are advised to take the following steps to reduce their risk of infection and complications: first, to observe good hand hygiene, with frequent use of soap and water; secondly, wherever possible, to avoid contact with someone who is known or suspected to have swine flu; and thirdly, if they have flu-like symptoms, to make early contact with a general practitioner, who may advise treatment with antiviral drugs. If in doubt, pregnant women should seek advice, and if they think they have symptoms, they need to contact their GP as soon as possible for antiviral treatment. The chief medical officer will be reissuing this advice later today.

I also understand that families with small children have concerns. The key characteristic of swine flu is fever. The first thing that parents should do is check whether their child has a temperature at or over 38° C. They should then contact the national pandemic flu service, once it has launched, or their GP, if their child has a high temperature and any one of the following symptoms: tiredness, headache, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhoea, aching muscles, or limb and joint pain.

Since my last statement to the House, the daily reported figures from the Health Protection Agency have been replaced by weekly estimates based on the numbers reporting flu-like illness to their GPs. The latest figures published on Thursday show how the number of cases has grown, with 55,000 new cases of swine flu reported last week alone. There were 652 people in hospital, 53 of whom were in critical care. There had been 26 deaths in England.

The figures also confirm that the virus has now taken hold around the country, rather than in isolated pockets, and show how quickly this has happened. On 8 July, just six primary care trusts reported exceptional levels of flu-like illness. By 15 July, this had increased to 110 PCTs—hence our immediate decision last week to activate the national pandemic flu service. The latest figures show that nine out of 10 NHS regions are now showing exceptional levels of flu-like illness, based on GP consultations.

GPs are on the front line in this pandemic. They are coping admirably with the increased work load, and I am sure that the House will want to extend its thanks to them, to their staff and to everybody working so hard throughout the health service, the Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health. All professionals deserve our full support, and the best way to do this is to find new ways to relieve pressure on the front line.

The technology to launch the national pandemic flu service has been available for some time, but given the latest HPA figures, and drawing on advice from the field, we have now reached a point where the service is required. I can therefore confirm that the service will go live in England by the end of this week, subject to testing. It will be accompanied by a major public information campaign. After the launch, people will no longer need to ring their GP: they can either answer questions online via the new website or ring the call centre service, where trained staff will be able to assess them over the phone. If swine flu is confirmed, they will then get an authorisation number, which their flu friend can use to pick up antivirals from local antiviral collection points. I will ensure that all Members receive information on the location and number of collection points in their area before the launch of the service later this week.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the situation is different. We have not seen the same rate of spread, and, as a result, the service will not be in operation in those countries this week, but they may choose to opt in at a later date. People in those regions should, therefore, continue checking their symptoms on the NHS website, or via the swine flu information line, and then call their GP for diagnosis over the phone.

The Government must be as open as possible about the potential scale of the threat, so that organisations in the public and private sectors can plan effectively. Last week’s planning assumptions set out reasonable “worst case scenarios” for them to plan against. We published a range of figures covering the numbers who could get swine flu; experience complications, and be hospitalised or die. The assumptions also cover the number who could be absent from work because they or their family get swine flu.

Let me stress again that those are worst case scenarios, not predictions—and we need the media to play their part in reporting them as such. For the NHS, the assumptions mean that it can now step up its preparations to cope with a sudden surge in swine flu cases, and it already has detailed plans in place. Similarly, infrastructure providers and other essential operators, such as food suppliers and electricity, gas and water companies, already have continuity plans to maintain services. However, organisations of all kinds should now establish plans to reduce the threat that swine flu poses to the economy.

The Government have published guidance documents on continuity planning, and we have also set up a new business advisory network for flu to provide a single source of information and advice. Full details are available on the business link website—www.businesslink.gov.uk.

Let me now update the House on vaccines. The Department of Health has already signed contracts with two manufacturers to supply enough vaccine for the whole population. According to their delivery schedules, we should begin receiving supplies from August, with enough becoming available for at least 30 million people by the end of the year. Clearly, we want the vaccine to be available as soon as possible, but we cannot compromise on safety. We will take all necessary steps to ensure that the vaccine is appropriately tested.

We are also now planning the vaccination programme so that we can start administering vaccines to priority groups, including NHS and social care staff, as soon as we get the green light to proceed. We will continue to take the best independent scientific advice on all questions about vaccination.

Finally, I recognise that hon. Members must be updated during the parliamentary recess. I have therefore asked strategic health authorities to provide weekly briefings for MPs coinciding with the HPA’s national updates. They will cover local information on the number of diagnosed and confirmed cases and hospitalisations, as well as updates on antiviral collection points, local information on any clusters or other specific developments, and a hotline number for hon. Members to use to contact their local strategic health authority.

In addition, the civil contingencies committee will meet weekly, and Ministers and officials will be in close contact throughout the summer months to respond to emerging issues. This evening, there will be a briefing session open to all Members with the chief medical officer.

I am also grateful to the hon. Members for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) and for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) for the constructive conversations that we have had. I will of course keep Conservative and Liberal Democrat Front Benchers updated over the summer, and we will continue regular discussions with Health Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure a consistent UK-wide response.

In conclusion, concern has risen and there is increasing pressure on services, but there is no change to the advice or to Government plans. It is because we have planned carefully for this eventuality that we have large quantities of antivirals, a national pandemic flu service about to launch, and a vaccine on the way. That constitutes a solid base on which to deal with future challenges. I commend the statement to the House."

15/07/2009 - Burnham's Vision for a National Care Service in England

Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP has announced the publication of the Care and Support Green Paper. The Green Paper sets out a vision to build the first National Care Service in England - a service that is fair, simple and affordable for everyone.

The proposals in the Green Paper are some of the most fundamental reforms ever in this area.

The National Care Service will create a level playing field and end the postcode lottery of care services. Everyone in England will be guaranteed:

• Prevention services - the right support to stay independent and well for as long as possible and to delay care needs getting worse.
• National assessment - care needs will be assessed and paid for in the same way across the country.
• Joined-up services - all the services will work together smoothly.
• Information and advice - the care system will be easy to understand and navigate.
• Personalised care and support - services will be based on personal circumstances and need.
• Fair funding - money will be spent wisely and everyone will get some help meeting the cost of high care needs.

Andy Burnham MP said, "We are proposing a radical reform of care - this is the vision for a National Care Service. More of us are living longer - life expectancy is going up and advances in medical science mean that people with a disability are living longer. This is worth celebrating but does mean we need to radically change the way care is provided and paid for."

"We need a system that's fair, simple and affordable for everyone. A system that gives excellent care wherever we live and whatever our needs."

"Everyone will come into contact with the care system at some point - whether it is our families and friends or ourselves. The National Care Service must be shaped by the people who will use it so we want everyone to tell us what they think. Everyone should join the Big Care Debate today."

Care and support cannot be funded by individuals on their own, and nor can it be fully funded out of taxation. The Green Paper therefore proposes three options for funding a National Care Service.

• Partnership - In this system, everyone who qualified for care and support from the state would be entitled to have a set proportion - for example, a quarter or a third - of their basic care and support costs paid for by the state. People who were less well-off would have more care paid for - for example, two-thirds - while the least well-off people would continue to get all their care for free.
• Insurance - In this system, everyone would be entitled to have a share of their care and support costs met, just as in the Partnership model. But this system would go further to help people cover the additional costs of their care and support through insurance, if they wanted to. The state could play different roles to enable this.
• Comprehensive - In this system, everyone over retirement age who had the resources to do so would be required to pay into a State insurance scheme. Everyone who was able to pay would pay their contribution, and then everyone whose needs meant that they qualified for care and support would get all of their basic care and support for free when they needed it. We would also look at having a free care system for people of working age alongside this.

Andy Burnham believes the debate the country needs to have is about how we balance what it is fair for everyone to pay, against the need to protect some people against having to pay a huge cost.

Furthermore, the country also needs to decide how the new funding system should balance local flexibility and national consistency:

• A part-national, part-local system - Under this system, people would know that they were entitled to have their needs met, and a proportion of their care package would be paid for by the state, wherever they lived. But local authorities would be responsible for deciding how much an individual should receive to spend on overall care and support, giving them the flexibility to take into account local circumstances.
• A fully national system - Under this system, national government would decide how much funding people should get, instead of local authorities. The amount of funding allocated could be consistent across the country, or could vary depending on location to take account of the different costs of care across England.

14/07/2009 - Elizabeth Cross for families of killed soldiers

Around 8,000 families of armed forces members killed in operations or as a result of terrorism since 1948 are to be awarded an emblem named after the Queen, the Prime Minister has announced.

The Elizabeth Cross will be granted to families of those lost in recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in other conflicts including Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands and in the Korean War.

Next of kin will receive the silver emblem in the shape of a cross and a wreath, as well as a memorial scroll signed by the Queen.

It is the first time the name of a reigning monarch has been given to a new award since the George Cross in 1940, introduced by George VI for acts of bravery by civilians and the military.

It follows a precedent set after the first and second world wars.
Families of those killed in World War One were given a scroll and a memorial plaque, while a scroll was given to families of those who died in World War Two and the Korean War.

Next of Kin can apply for both the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll. For retrospective claims and when the Next of Kin is deceased their legal successor may apply.

Andy Burnham is inviting constituents to contact him to obtain an application form by calling his constituency office on 01942 248958.

Andy Burnham MP said, “This is a right and proper way of showing our enduring debt to those who paid the ultimate price in service to their country.”

For deaths after 1st August 2009, it is intended that, in most cases, the Next of Kin will be offered the opportunity for the Elizabeth Cross and memorial Scroll to be presented privately and in an appropriate way at the time of the funeral if they so wish.

For retrospective cases, Next of Kin who are resident in the UK will be offered the choice of whether they wish to receive the emblem and scroll at a formal presentation ceremony in the region where they live or if they prefer delivery by recorded post.