Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of the suitability of the personal protective equipment made available to community nurses working with patients who have tested positive for covid-19 and nurses working in a hospital setting.
The requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) for community nurses and for nurses working in a hospital setting are set out in the national Infection Prevention and Control manual practice guide. It is consistent with World Health Organization guidance for protecting health and social care workers from COVID-19 and includes the PPE requirements as part of both standard infection control precautions and transmission-based precautions to prevent the risk of transmission of infection, protecting patients and staff alike.