The Moderna Vaccine

 

The Business Secretary has confirmed that the UK has secured an additional 2 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which trials suggest is 95 per cent effective, as we continue our preparations to rollout a vaccine that – should one be approved by the regulator – will ease pressure on the NHS, keep people safe and allow life to gradually return to normal.

The government has pre-ordered hundreds of millions of doses from those companies most advanced in their work developing a coronavirus vaccine.   This now includes an extra 2 million doses of Moderna’s promising vaccine, on top of the 5 million previously secured, taking the total number of vaccine doses the UK has access to to 357 million across seven different developers – one of the world’s largest and most diverse vaccine portfolios.   I understand that every possible step is being taken to ensure that, whenever a vaccine receives approval from the independent regulator, the NHS will be ready to roll it out, free at the point of delivery on the basis of need, and prioritised for those groups at the greatest risk, overseen by a new dedicated minister.   But as Britain edges closer to a vaccine being deployed it is vital people do not lose sight of the real and present danger the virus continues to pose, so we have to keep doing the things we know work, like following the ‘Hands, Face, Space’ guidance.

Support for the NHS - latest action in the spending review

 One of the many problems COVID-19 has caused has been to disrupt the normal work of the NHS and cause backlogs to build up in many parts of the country. If these are not addressed they will lead to bad patient outcomes up to and including suffering and premature death.

So I was very pleased to read that ahead of the Spending Review last Wednesday, the Chancellor announced an extra £3 billion for the NHS to tackle a backlog of operations – helping people to receive the medical care they need as soon as possible. Britain's world-class NHS has played a critical role in the response to coronavirus, but we all know how desperately difficult and distressing it’ been for patients who are waiting to have operations and medical treatment during the pandemic.   So I was pleased to leatn that the government is providing an extra £3 billion for the NHS. This includes £1 billion to address backlogs – paying for up to one million extra checks, scans and additional operations for those who have had their treatment delayed; £1.5 billion to support existing pressures in the NHS; and a £500 million boost to mental health services. It is also planned to  invest £325 million in NHS diagnostics next year – helping diagnose patients with cancer and other serious illnesses.   This substantial package of extra funding will help people receive the medical care they need as soon as possible