Recommendation 15

The Department stressed that it had to respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic often with “imperfect knowledge”, which was why its approach had altered over time.43 But Care England told us that PPE guidance had changed no fewer than 40 times, causing confusion and anxiety to service providers and staff.44 When we asked why the PPE guidance had constantly changed, the Department said that when updating its guidance it was trying to match clinical advice, as understanding of the virus changed, to available supply. We challenged it on why it would in effect toughen guidance when it knew there was already insufficient supply. For example, guidance which said care homes needed new PPE for each patient had caused considerable anxiety. The Department told us it could not “simply be driven by supply in this case”.45