The Liberal Democrats have called on the Health Secretary Stephen Barclay MP to convene a ‘Strep A Summit’ immediately. Since the outbreak of Strep A in the UK, 15 children have tragically died.
The Health Secretary must call for a ‘Strep A Summit’ now and get the NHS, public health directors, UKHSA, pharmacy representatives, GPs, and drug suppliers round the table to ensure our children are best protected from Strep A.
Alongside the summit, the Government should launch a public health messaging campaign to ensure parents are aware of the symptoms, the actions they should take and what steps the Government are taking to make sure there is a consistent supply of drugs to tackle Strep A.
Parents up and down the country will be looking to the Government to make supplies of treatments for Strep A readily available in all areas of the country as soon as possible.
GPs have also urged the government to put out clearer advice for parents about when to seek help over potential Strep A infections. Today, the Royal College of GPs, have said many surgeries were struggling with the extra demand on top of already existing pressures in the health system.
Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP commented:
“The Health Secretary must convene an emergency Strep A Summit with the NHS and other key bodies to lay out a rigorous plan.
“The Government must ensure that parents can access the appropriate medicines for their children. Parents will be looking to the Government to make supplies of treatments for Strep A immediately available across the country.
“I hope that we can work with the Health Secretary to raise awareness of this illness and the steps parents can take to keep their children healthy.”
