IPC and PPE

National Guidance

• PPE portal: how to order COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (Department of Health and Social Care)
• COVID-19: infection prevention and control (IPC) (UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, Public Health Wales, and Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland))
• Infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID-19 supplement – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (Department of Health and Social Care)
• COVID-19: managing healthcare staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (UK Health Security Agency)
• Supporting excellence in infection prevention and control behaviours:  Implementation Toolkit (Skills for Care)

PPE Resources:

• Personal protective equipment and heat: risk of heat stress (Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, 09/06/2021)
• Why fresh air is so important in controlling the spread of Covid-19 (Public Health Somerset, February 2021)
• Covid-19 deep cleaning guidance in Care Homes
• Your 5 Moments For Hand Hygiene Poster
• Care home mutual aid IPC training support 
• COVID-19 Super trainer competency document 
• CQC Inspection Information Gathering Tool: Infection Prevention and Control
• Hand Gel Use sheet
• Hand Washing sheet
• Homemade Masks poster 
• Putting on personal protective equipment (PPE) for non-aerosol generating procedures
• Taking off personal protective equipment (PPE) for non-aerosol generating procedures
• Effectiveness of Correct Hand Washing 
• Trainers Resources on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Care Homes
• Supporting fit testing: steps and actions to be taken where staff may require the use of FFP3 masks (NHS England and NHS Improvement, 29/10/2020)
• COVID-19: personal protective equipment use for non-aerosol generating procedures  including posters and a video showing how to safely don (put on) and doff (take off) the personal protective equipment (PPE) (UK Health Security Agency, updated 21/08/2020)
• Facial hair and FFP3 respirators poster (26/02/2020)
• NHS Guidance on How to wash your hands (18/10/2019)
• Portable fans in health and social care facilities: risk of cross infection (NHS Improvement, 11/01/2019)
• Best Practice Hand Wash Poster
• Best Practice: management of blood and body fluid spillage
• Routine decontamination of reusable non-invasive patient care equipment
• Helping to prevent infection: A quick guide for managers and staff in care homes (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)
• NHS Property Services:  Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitiser – Vehicle Fires 
• Highways England Safety Alert:  Alcohol Based Hand Sanitiser

National Guidance 

The NHS has set up a supply distribution helpline which can answer PPE calls and emails 24/7:

Phone: 0800 915 9964
Email supplydisruptionservice@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

PPE Portal:

• The DHSC has launched a guidance page on the PPE Portal, to help provide information to those invited to register and order emergency PPE through the site.
• Please find the page at this address:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ppe-portal-how-to-order-emergency-personal-protective-equipment (Department of Health and Social Care) – this page also details the process as users are transferred to the new PPE portal
• The customer service team can be contacted on on 0800 876 6802 if you have any questions about using the PPE portal
• The page details who is eligible to register with the portal, how the order process works and what customers should expect from the portal.
• Please ensure that all eligible providers regularly check their email accounts registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) / Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in order to ensure that the email invitation is received and actioned.

Local process

While we appreciate that many providers are now procuring PPE via the PPE Portal, the Local Authority is still available to support providers with any PPE shortfalls, however this will be on a chargeable basis.  Please contact ASCCOVID19@somerset.gov.uk should you wish to purchase PPE through the Local Authority.

Public Health England South West are holding weekly webinars at 3pm each Friday to answer questions about infection prevention and control.  If you have yet to have an cases these webinars are provided to help you prepare and we would strongly urge you to participate.

Please use this link to join using Microsoft Teams or join by phone: 020 8142 8939 then phone conference ID: 447 183 299#