Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the provision of high-grade personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS and care workers.

I agree with you that all frontline health and care staff must be fully protected. I support calls for the Government to urgently review PPE guidance and increase stockpiles of high-grade PPE – such as FFP3 masks – for all frontline staff.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that inadequate PPE may be putting the lives of staff at risk. It points to an emerging ‘postcode lottery’, where some hospitals are offering staff high-grade PPE while others are not.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised similar concerns and is calling on the Government to take a more precautionary approach to infection control by making FFP3-grade PPE available to all healthcare staff. 

Our NHS deserves huge congratulations for its impressive and speedy vaccine rollout. Despite their incredible efforts, it will take many months before the vaccine provides widespread protection. With the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, increasing pressures on our health service, and continuing high rates of transmission, it is vital that Ministers do everything possible to ensure frontline health and care workers – who are more exposed to the virus – are fully protected.

I echo the concerns raised by the RCN and the BMA. Ministers should move away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to PPE, increase stockpiles of high-grade FFP3 masks, and rapidly update PPE guidelines to ensure health and care staff are fully protected.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP