Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the value of the role of local commercial laundries in cleaning contaminated bedding and other substantial soiled items from care homes; whether the coloured water-soluble bags needed to process soiled items safely have been designated under the category of PPE for essential laundry staff; and if he will urgently allocate resources to manufacturers of water-soluble laundry bags to meet the shortfall of availability to local commercial laundries serving care homes arising from the increased use of such bags by hospitals serving NHS patients.

The Government is not currently considering the wider use of local commercial laundries in regard to care homes. The Government has published guidance related to laundry in care homes which can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance/covid-19-guidance-for-supported-living-provision

Public Health England published a COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) guide to those working in care homes on 17 April. This advises that suitable decontamination arrangements for some PPE items should be obtained from the manufacturer, supplier or local infection control. Public Health England’s publication can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-how-to-work-safely-in-care-homes

Water-soluble bags are not designated under PPE at this current time. A list of PPE recommendations for social care workers can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe