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Arthritis: 'Impossible to Ignore' (Versus Arthritis)

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Thank you for contacting me about the impact of coronavirus and related measures on people with arthritis.

I am sorry this reply has taken so long; I’m afraid that the pandemic and the lockdown with their various consequences have led to considerable delays in responses to enquiries.

While it has been important to postpone some NHS activities to protect individuals and enable resources to be used as efficiently as possible during the coronavirus outbreak, my colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as NHS Staff, are determined to restart elective procedures as soon as it is safe to do so. NHS services could begin restarting from 28th April, including the most urgent. The exact pace of this restoration is determined by local circumstances, local need and demand, and the number of coronavirus cases being dealt with by hospitals.

I very much want to hear from constituents about their experiences of accessing these vital services. Please get in touch.

A&E appointments: I understand that a system whereby patients should call 111 before visiting A&E units is being piloted ahead of an anticipated nationwide rollout for December. This will reduce the risk of exposure to coronavirus by reducing the need to attend and wait at a hospital; moreover, it will also help to avoid patients needing to visit A&E at all by making use of the team at NHS 111 who can direct them to urgent treatment centres, GP surgeries, and mental health care, as well as A&E. Steps are already being taken to increase the number of NHS 111 call handlers and clinicians to support these changes. While people will not be prevented from seeking help at A&E without an appointment, they are likely to end up waiting for longer than those who have gone through 111. I know that my colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care are working with colleagues in the NHS to ensure that these steps will help patients access the care they need, while reducing pressure on NHS emergency care. People with a life-threatening condition should still call 999. I will continue to follow this process closely.

The Government will now carefully consider the situation and the points raised by campaigners such as yourself, and in the meantime will continue to hold the NHS to account on its existing standards. 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Craig Whittaker MP

October 2020
 

Campaign Responses

  • Archived Campaign Responses
  • Sarah Everard and Violence against Women and Girls
  • Abortion: Disability-Selective Abortions (EDM 521)
  • Abortion: 'DIY' Abortions
  • Abortion and Foetal Pain: EDM 1340
  • Access to the Countryside
  • Aid: Girls in Crisis
  • Aid: Parliamentary Scrutiny
  • Aid Spending
  • Amazon
  • Animal Cruelty Sentencing
  • Animal Experiments: Update
  • Animals as Sentient Beings
  • Arthritis: 'Impossible to Ignore' (Versus Arthritis)
  • Assisted Suicide
  • Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Update
  • Badger Cull: Update
  • Beer and Alcohol Duty
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Brexit: Trade and Business
  • Brexit: Working Time Regulations
  • Build Back Better
  • Building Our Way Out (Shelter)
  • Cancer
  • Care Workers' Pay
  • Channel Crossings: Ending People Trafficking
  • Children's Well-being ('Good Childhood' Report)
  • China: Persecution of Uyghur Muslims
  • Cladding (McPartland and Lords' Amendments): Updated
  • Cleaner Air
  • Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
  • Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act
  • Cycling and Walking: Update
  • Divorce Law Reform: Updated September 2020
  • Domestic Abuse Bill
  • Domestic Abuse: Migrants
  • Domestic Homicide
  • Domestic Abuse: Universal Credit
  • Duplicated Animal Tests (REACH)
  • Early Years Funding
  • Environment Bill (Updated)
  • E-scooters (Guide Dogs)
  • Evictions of Palestinians in Disputed Territories (EDM 529)
  • Export of Riot Control Equipment to the US
  • Fox Hunting
  • Fuel Duty and Prices
  • Gay Conversion Therapy
  • Gender Recognition Act: Update
  • Green and Fair Recovery
  • HS2 and the Environment
  • Heat Pumps (Updated)
  • Hedgehogs
  • Homelessness: Crisis and Centrepoint
  • Homelessness: Social Housing (Shelter)
  • Human Rights Defenders
  • IVF
  • Immigration: Detention, Visas and Other Issues
  • Immigration Health Charge
  • Immigration: Points-based System
  • Indian Farming Reforms
  • Israel: Military Courts and UK Arms Sales
  • Israel: Peace Agreements with Bahrain and the UAE
  • Jagtar Singh Johal
  • Legal Aid: Asylum and Immigration Cases
  • Local Electricity Bill
  • Local Housing Allowance/Shared Accommodatio Rate
  • Medical Cannabis
  • Misogyny and Violence Against Women and Girls
  • Modern Slavery
  • Neonicotinoids: Update
  • NHS Pay and Recruitment
  • NHS: 'Privatisation' and Centene
  • NHS Pay: Scotland
  • Ocean Protection
  • Off-payroll Working (IR35)
  • Pavement Parking
  • Peat Burning
  • Persecution of Christians (Open Doors)
  • Pig Husbandry
  • Planning for the Future: CPRE and Other Campaigns
  • Planning for the Future: Woodlands
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
  • Pregnancy and Maternity Redundancy Bill
  • Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty and Trident
  • Proportional Property Tax
  • Radiotherapy 4 Life
  • Rail: Policy and Investment
  • Rape and the Criminal Justice System
  • Reception Baseline Assessment (Primary Schools)
  • School Breakfast Bill
  • Sea Blasts
  • Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill
  • Social Care
  • Social Care, Key Workers and the National Living Wage
  • Social Housing
  • Sunday Trading
  • Supertrawlers and Sustainable Fishing
  • Support for People with Terminal Illness
  • Trade Bill: Anti-genocide Amendment (Updated)
  • Trade Deals: Farming and Food Standards
  • Trade Deals: Food Standards
  • Trade Deals: NHS - New Clause 17 and Lords 11
  • Trade Deals: Parliamentary Scrutiny
  • Trophy Hunting Update
  • Transport Investment (#transformtransport)
  • Trespass (Right to Roam)
  • UK Internal Market Bill
  • UK Internal Market Bill: International Law
  • Visa-free Work Permits for Touring Artists
  • Wildlife Licensing
  • Yemen: Concerns about UK Aid
  • Yemen: UK Involvement (Updated)
  • Youth Services

Craig Whittaker MP MP for Calder Valley

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