Local Government: Coronavirus

(asked on 4th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities at risk of an increase in covid-19 cases in their areas are able to procure adequate numbers of body bags; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 25th June 2020

The Government published “Coronavirus (COVID-19): personal protective equipment (PPE) plan” on 10 April. It incorporates guidance on who needs PPE and when they need it, routes to ensure those who need it can get it at the right time and sets out actions to secure enough PPE to last through the crisis. PPE includes aprons, eye protectors, face masks, gloves, gowns, hand hygiene, clinical waste bags and body bags.

Since publication of the plan, the Government has massively expanded both our supply of PPE from overseas and our domestic manufacturing capability, which will deliver at the scale and pace the United Kingdom requires and ensures that we build and maintain a domestic base for the future.

The Government has also published PPE guidance for those involved in the care and management of the deceased and has authorised the release of millions of PPE items to local resilience forums to help them respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult social care system and some other frontline services, such as mortuary and funeral services, where providers are unable to access PPE through their usual, or dedicated wholesaler routes.

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