Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reinstate Covid-safe measures in healthcare settings, including FFP3 masks, improved ventilation and HEPA filtration.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 requires all health and social care facilities to have systems in place to prevent and control infection by undertaking risk assessments, and by implementing infection prevention and control (IPC) policies appropriate to the risks in their services. The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual for England provides guidance for National Health Service settings. The manual is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/national-infection-prevention-and-control-manual-nipcm-for-england/

Existing guidance on the use of respiratory protective equipment, including FFP3, ventilation assessments, air-cleaning technologies, including HEPA filtration, fit testing, and other engineering or administrative controls allows decisions on their use to be made through local risk assessment rather than through blanket national requirements.

Rather than reinstating specific COVID-19 measures, NHS England maintains a comprehensive, evidence-based IPC framework. This enables providers to assess risks and implement proportionate controls to protect patients, staff, and visitors from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases while supporting the continued delivery of safe and effective care across the healthcare system.