Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, following the lifting of some covid-19 restrictions, what additional steps he is taking to help prevent the spread of covid-19 in hospitals.

NHS England and NHS Improvement work with National Health Service trusts to ensure hospitals are implementing robust COVID-19 control measures and effective implementation of the UK Health Security Agency infection prevention and control guidance in all areas, for both outpatient and inpatient care, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in hospitals.

Mechanisms for infection prevention including physical distancing, optimal hand hygiene, equipment and environment decontamination and extended use of face masks by healthcare staff, patients and visitors, are continually reviewed. The Department continues to have ongoing discussions with NHS England and NHS Improvement on controlling the spread of COVID-19 infection in all healthcare settings.

The vaccination programme has significantly weakened the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths and will continue to be our first line of defence against COVID-19.