Written question WQ82709
- Asked by
- Rhun ap IorwerthPlaid
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 11 days
Question
As new evidence emerges, what have been Welsh Government's recent considerations on changing PPE specifications, including for the care sector?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
Welsh Government does not have a direct role in setting specifications for personal protective equipment (PPE), but follows the advice of the four UK public health agencies, including Public Health Wales.
Throughout the pandemic, a wide range of international evidence on COVID-19 in health and care settings has been constantly reviewed by the UK Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) cell, which includes experts from Wales. The cell produces guidance for the public health agencies which is followed by each of the UK countries.
The UK IPC guidance was most recently updated on 1 June 2021 and now states that where an unacceptable risk of COVID-19 transmission remains following risk assessment and application of the ‘hierarchy of controls’ in both health and care settings, it may be necessary to consider the extended use of PPE for care in specific situations.
The updated UK IPC guidance may be found here.