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 adequacy of hospital interventions to (a) minimise the risk of covid-19 outbreaks and (b) bring hospital acquired covid-19 outbreaks under control; and what support and resources are available for hospitals to help implement those interventions.

NHS England and NHS Improvement provide Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) support to trusts in the implementation of wide-ranging hospital interventions to prevent and control COVID-19 transmission, including a targeted IPC Safety Support Programme to multiple regions. An England wide surveillance system is available to provide trusts with data for tracking COVID-19 infection rates and allowing them to take local action to tackle outbreaks.

In addition, an operating framework for urgent and planned services in hospital settings during COVID-19 was published on 14 May, with a key objective of minimising the risk of transmission of COVID-19 infection within hospitals and supporting NHS organisations to maintain capacity to care for COVID-19 patients.

The Government has updated and published the United Kingdom guidance ‘COVID-19: Guidance for the remobilisation of services within health and care settings: Infection prevention and control recommendations’, providing guidance based on the latest scientific evidence for minimising COVID-19 transmission in healthcare settings.

NHS England and NHS Improvement oversee the dissemination of guidance and provides oversight through its regions to support local policies and interventions in healthcare settings. To further support implementation of the UK IPC Guidance within local settings, a Board Assurance Framework is available to all healthcare organisations.