Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much personal protective clothing and other medical items stored in China by the NHS remains in storage; what has been the accumulated cost of storage; how much has been destroyed; and what will happen to that which remains.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since July 2023 all of the Department’s personal protective equipment stock has been stored at sites within the United Kingdom. The total cost of storing items in the freeport in China was £60.6 million for the years 2020 until 2023, when we exited the site.
3,058 million items stored in China, or around 80% of the total volume, were sent to the UK for use in health and social care settings. 57 million items, or around 1.5% of the total volume, have been donated. 699 million items, or around 8% of the total volume, were recycled into energy from waste, which was by far the most cost-effective means of disposal readily available.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department investigated the alleged leaking of confidential information to companies bidding for PPE contracts in 2020.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All offers to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including that from I Love Cosmetics Ltd for hand sanitiser, were evaluated by Departmental officials on the supplier’s financial standing, compliance with minimum product, service and technical specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts were awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with the Department’s standard terms and conditions.
The Department is not aware of any allegations regarding the leaking of confidential information to companies offering to supply PPE.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment criteria her Department used when awarding a contract for supply of PPE to ILC UK Ltd in 2020.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All offers to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including that from I Love Cosmetics Ltd for hand sanitiser, were evaluated by Departmental officials on the supplier’s financial standing, compliance with minimum product, service and technical specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts were awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with the Department’s standard terms and conditions.
The Department is not aware of any allegations regarding the leaking of confidential information to companies offering to supply PPE.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the number of individuals convicted of fraud related to contracts with her Department for the provision of personal protective equipment in the last four years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no individuals have been convicted of fraud related to personal protective equipment contracts. Work continues to recover costs wherever possible to ensure taxpayer value for money.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS of unused personal protective equipment during the covid-19 pandemic; what steps her Department is taking to reclaim those costs; and how much has been reclaimed as of 29 November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the face of an unprecedented global pandemic, we had to rapidly increase the volume of personal protective equipment (PPE) and change how we bought it in order to protect the National Health Service, including frontline health and care workers, and save lives. The Department’s most recent published annual report and accounts have already disclosed the cost of providing PPE during the pandemic, and are available at the following link:
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 125391 on Bunzl Healthcare: Protective clothing, how much his Department spent on its legal costs for the judicial review in relation to the contract awarded by his Department to Bunzl Healthcare in April 2020.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In total, as of the end of October 2023, the Department has spent £915,071, excluding VAT, in relation to the judicial review regarding the contract awarded by the department to Bunzl Healthcare in April 2020.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 125389 on Protective clothing: Procurement, how much his Department has spent on defending legal challenges from the Good Law Project regarding the use of the high priority lane for personal protective equipment contracts; and how much was paid by the Good Law Project towards the Department's costs.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Up to the end of October 2023, the Department has spent £3,884,214 excluding VAT on defending legal challenges from the Good Law Project. £337,000 has been recovered to date from the Good Law Project in costs.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2023 to Question 186059 on Protective Clothing, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the recommendation.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department relies on a wide range of evidence and research, which may include cost-benefit analyses, when making recommendations about protective clothing and patient health. Healthcare providers in all healthcare settings across England use the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual, which was published by NHS England in April 2022. This is complemented by pathogen/disease specific guidance from the UK Health Security Agency.
NHS England has not conducted a cost-benefit analysis specifically for the guidance on protective clothing, nor do they have plans to do so. The focus of this guidance is on patients and their choice to wear their own masks within clinical settings.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2023 to Question 186059 on Protective Clothing, if he will withdraw the recommendation for patients to wear face coverings in the absence of a cost-benefit analysis.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department’s recommendations regarding protective clothing and patient health are informed by a wealth of evidence and literature, sometimes including, but not limited to, cost-benefit analyses.
The recommendations in NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) regarding the use of face masks is informed by a literature review conducted by ARHAI Scotland, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nipcm.hps.scot.nhs.uk/media/2113/2022-01-06-surgical-masks-sicps-and-tbps-v20-final.pdf
As set out in the United Kingdom’s five year national action plan for tackling antimicrobial resistance, NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Team is currently undertaking literature reviews to support the NIPCM. While this process is on-going, the scientific and epidemiological data and literature remain under constant review.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2023 to Question 141370 on Protective Clothing, if he will publish the evidence that supports the recommendation for patients at high risk of infection due to immunosuppression to continue wearing masks in NHS settings; and if he will undertake a cost benefit analysis of that recommendation.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM), published by NHS England in April 2022, is used by health care providers in all healthcare settings in England and is complimented by pathogen/disease specific guidance produced by UK Health Security Agency.
The NIPCM recommends that, following risk assessment, face coverings can be worn by patients as a form of source control, providing this does not compromise their clinical care or safety. This would include patients deemed to be at increased risk of infection, such as those who are immuno-compromised, and during periods where local epidemiology indicates a likely increase in risk of nosocomial transmission of a specific pathogen. At local level, the decision regarding the implementation of this measure should be informed by clinical judgement and risk assessment.
Recommendations regarding the use of face masks is informed by a literature review conducted by Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection Scotland, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nipcm.hps.scot.nhs.uk/media/2113/2022-01-06-surgical-masks-sicps-and-tbps-v20-final.pdf
As set out in the United Kingdom’s five year national action plan for tackling antimicrobial resistance, NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Team is currently undertaking literature reviews to support the NIPCM. While this process is on-going, the scientific and epidemiological data and literature remain under constant review.
The Department’s first priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of patients and staff, with no current plans to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the recommendation.