Infectious Disease: Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s high consequence infectious disease isolation capacity in the context of the hantavirus outbreak; what assessment he has made of the suitability of Arrowe Park Hospital and other NHS facilities for prolonged isolation periods of up to 45 days; and whether he plans to increase dedicated isolation and infectious disease surge capacity.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
The risk to the United Kingdom’s general population remains very low. The UK’s response to this complex incident is being led by the UK Health Security Agency, working closely with the World Health Organization, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS High Consequence Infectious Disease Network, the Home Office, the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Defence, the devolved administrations of the United Kingdom, and international partners. Collectively, they are doing everything possible to protect the safety and well-being of British nationals, and to provide reassurance to UK citizens.
Arrowe Park was selected on the basis that it has the required facilities, including a dedicated block, self-contained units, and access to outside space, with proximity to infectious disease units and to hospital support in addition to proximity to Manchester Airport.
The Department will review lessons learned following the conclusion of the response as the situation remains ongoing and fluid.
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