Recommendation 28

Witnesses representing the health and social care sectors raised a number of concerns about the PPE guidance issued by government. The Department told us that it held conversations with the Royal Colleges (and with the NHS and public health services of the UK nations) about the PPE guidance issued.47 The British Medical Association told us that, in March, the government guidance differed from the guidance of the World Health Organization: in particular government guidance did not recommend the use of eye protection in GP practices. Government did revise its guidance to recommend eye protection in early April. The NAO report stated that PPE guidance had been updated 30 times by 31 July, and the Royal College of Nursing highlighted that the frequency of changes was difficult for a provider organisation to manage and that the changes were 42 Qq 7–8, 11, 17, 49, 62, 142–143; C&AG’s Report The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, paras 18, 3.19–3.21, Figure 16 43 Q 49; Royal College of Nursing, Personal protective equipment: Use and availability during the COVID-19 pandemic (national survey results), 18 April 2020; C&AG’s Report The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, para 3.26 44 Qq 53–57, 260–261 45 C&AG’s Report The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, paras 3.22–3.23, Figure 17 46 Qq 53, 276 47 Q 142 20 COVID-19: Government procurement and supply of Personal Protective Equipment often issued late on a Friday with providers required to implement them from Monday. Care England and UNISON were concerned that the language of the guidance was not relevant for social care, and UNISON told us that government guidance permitting the re-use of masks led to many social care workers being required to wear the same mask for an entire 12-hour shift, which they felt was unsafe. The British Medical Association said it had concerns around the guidance for PPE use dur