Extending free PPE to the health and care sector
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
The government hosted a public consultation from 1 October to 31 October 2021 on whether to extend the central, free provision of all items of COVID-19 PPE provided to the health and care sector for a further year. This is the formal government response to that consultation.
Overall, the consultation responses showed that the overwhelming majority of health and care providers are strongly in favour of the option to extend the provision of free PPE.
The government has decided to extend free PPE to health and care sectors by up to one year to March 2023 or until the infection prevention and control guidance on PPE usage for COVID-19 is either withdrawn or significantly amended (whichever is sooner).
Original consultation
Consultation description
In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) created a parallel PPE supply chain in the UK to meet the unexpected challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure much-needed PPE was delivered to the frontline.
Notably, DHSC centralised the procurement of PPE across much of the health and care sector and provided free access to central stocks to NHS trusts, adult social care providers, as well as primary care and some other healthcare providers.
DHSC is committed to providing this central, free provision of COVID-19 PPE until 31 March 2022. This consultation will inform the department’s decision concerning extending central provision beyond this date.
Documents
Last updated 13 January 2022 + show all updates
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Added consultation response.
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First published.