Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the NHS has different standards for surgical gown sterility to those used by the World Health Organisation; and to provide details of any contracts for surgical gowns that did not meet NHS standards since March 2020.

The National Health Service standards for sterile gowns are the same as the World Health Organization standards.

The Department’s technical assurance unit is currently undertaking a formal sterility testing programme for China-manufactured sterile surgical gowns under the direction of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

We are unable to provide the information requested on individual contracts as it is commercially sensitive.