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Supplies, including PPE, and coronavirus

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Maintaining access to supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and food is very important to care providers, their staff and the people they support. We will provide information and advice as it becomes available.


Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)§

PPE portal: Order limits updated – 21 January 2022 - DHSC

Eligible health and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Updated order limits for GPs, domiciliary care providers, pharmacies, dentists, orthodontists, optometrists, community drug and alcohol services, and residential drug and alcohol services.

 

Personal protective equipment (PPE): LA and LRF contacts for care providers – Updated 11 February 2022 – GOV.UK

A list of local contacts for care providers who are not on the PPE portal. Providers can get PPE through their local authority or local resilience forum.

The local contacts GOV.UK page contains contact details for local authority and local resilience forum PPE co-ordinators.  A number of LRFs have now stood down their PPE cells and responsibility has transferred over to the LA. You can find out who’s responsible for PPE provision in your local area on the GOV.UK page.

 

PPE Portal and other routes to access free PPE – DHSC

The portal remains available for eligible adult social care providers to order PPE, free of charge, to meet increased need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 19,000 adult social care providers have registered so far. Access the portal using your CQC registered email.

For guidance on the items you can order (including order limits), click here. If you have any questions, call the customer service team on 0800 876 6802. They are available 7am - 7pm, seven days a week. Any care providers ineligible for the portal will still be able to access free PPE from either their Local Resilience Forum or local authority.

 

PPE portal: how to order COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) – Updated 4 November 2020 – GOV.UK

Updated order limit information for all sectors to reflect changes to visor orders.

 

VAT on PPE reverts to standard rate – 1 November 2020 - HMRC

Section 3.5 of guidance on how to account for VAT on goods and services provided by registered health professionals, including doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists has been updated to reflect the zero rate of VAT for the supply of PPE equipment has reverted to the standard rate of VAT from 1 November 2020.

 

How to work safely in care homes: use of gloves – Updated 2 November 2020 – PHE

Guidance for those working in care homes providing information on how to work safely during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19. Updated guidance on use of gloves.

 

How to work safely in domiciliary care: use of gloves – Updated 2 November 2020 - PHE

A resource for those working in domiciliary care providing information on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Updated guidance on the use of gloves.

 

PPE portal: how to order COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) – Updated 26 October 2020 – GOV.UK

Eligible health and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Updated order limits for domiciliary care providers and residential care homes.


Personal protective equipment (PPE): local contacts for care providers – 23 October 2020

A list of local contacts for care providers who are not on the PPE portal. Providers can get PPE through their local authority or local resilience forum.

 

PPE Q&A – 23 October 2020 – DHSC

The Department of Health and Social Care will provide free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 needs to CQC-registered care homes and domiciliary care providers via the PPE portal until the end of March 2021. Providers can register using their CQC registered email address.

 

DHSC will also provide free PPE to those social care providers who are not registered for PPE supply via the PPE Portal until the end of March 2021. This will be via Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), where they are continuing PPE distribution or via local authorities in the areas where LRFs are standing down regular PPE distribution.

 

Access a regularly updated list of local contacts for care providers who are not on the PPE portal.


PPE portal: how to order COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) – Updated 30 September 2020 – GOV.UK

Eligible health and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Updated order limit information for all sectors to reflect recent increases and removed order information on type II masks.


Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Strategy: Stabilise and build resilience – 28 September 2020 – GOV.UK

The government's strategy for preparing for a second wave of COVID-19 covering supply and logistics for distribution of PPE.

The strategy says: “DHSC are building a strategic stockpile. This will be equivalent to approximately four months' stock of each product category and will be in place and stored in our warehouses by November 2020.”

“DHSC will provide PPE to meet the requirements of all health and social care providers in England to support their COVID-19 needs, as well as other public sector organisations such as prisons and the police force. Our centralised procurement approach ensures that Value for Money (VfM) is secured through sound and legally compliant procurement processes. We will provide COVID-19 related PPE in full until March 2021 at the earliest. A decision on the future procurement model will be made next year.”


PPE portal: how to order COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) – Updated 24 September 2020 – GOV.UK

Eligible health and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Added community and residential drug and alcohol services to the categories of provider that can order from the portal. Delivery times have been updated: orders will be delivered within 4 days.


PPE portal can be used for all COVID-19 PPE requirements, not just emergency top up – 21 September 2020 – GOV.UK

Eligible health and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible providers can now use the portal to order PPE for COVID-19 requirements, rather than as an emergency top-up system. The guidance has been updated to reflect this. Added information about when to use the National Supply Disruption Response.


Care providers can order visors via PPE portal – Updated 17 September 2020 – GOV.UK

Government guidance on how to order personal protective equipment (PPE) through the portal to top up their existing supplies for COVID-19 in an emergency has been updated. Domiciliary care providers with 50 or more clients and residential care home with over 50 or more beds can now order one box of visors per week. Visit the PPE Portal


PPE portal: how to order emergency personal protective equipment – Updated 14 September 2020 – GOV.UK

Healthcare providers can order additional personal protective equipment (PPE) through the portal to top up their existing supplies for COVID-19 in an emergency. Added type II masks to the list of items that can be ordered and updated order limits for GPs and social care providers.


COVID-19 infection rises: letter to care providers from Director of Adult Social Care Delivery – 11 September 2020 – GOV.UK

Stuart Miller has written to care providers to highlight rising infection rates and request action on testing and PPE in all care settings. Key points from the letter incluide:


Government delivers 250,000 clear face masks to support people with hearing loss – 5 September 2020 – GOV.UK

250,000 clear face masks are to be delivered to frontline NHS and social care workers to support better care for people who use lip-reading and facial expressions to communicate.


Changes to emergency PPE arrangements – 7 August 2020 – GOV.UK

From 8 August 2020 the national PPE support service will start scheduling the delivery of emergency orders of PPE on a Monday to Friday basis.
 
Should care providers experience a shortage of PPE over the weekend, please seek mutual aid with another organisation, or through the PPE portal, for organisations who have registered.
 
If your organisation has exhausted all other PPE supply routes and you are experiencing an urgent need for PPE over a weekend, you can still phone the National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR) on?0800 915 9964 which is operational on a 24/7 basis.


Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) illustrated guide for community and social care settings – 31 July 2020 – GOV.UK

Advice for health and social care workers working in the community during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19. This guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) is for health and social care workers working in the community. Guidance should be used in conjunction with local policies.

It shows:

  • which PPE to wear depending on where and how you are working
  • how to work safely using your PPE and safer working practices to protect staff and residents


Coronavirus (COVID-19): personal protective equipment (PPE) hub – Updated 30 July 2020 – GOV.UK

Guidance about coronavirus (COVID-19) personal protective equipment (PPE). Added Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) illustrated guide for community and social care settings guidance.


Future Planning of PPE Supply: DHSC request for information – 30 July 2020 - DHSC

The PPE Demand & Strategy team at the Department of Health and Social Care is looking at the use of PPE across the social care sector in order to get a better idea of the historic and current financial costs, as well as demand for PPE and so inform planning to meet those needs and prepare for different circumstances that may arise in the future.

 They are seeking extracted information from invoices for all PPE purchases, from all sources, for the periods:

1 October 2019 – 31 October 2019

Any two-month period between 1 May 2020 and 31 July 2020.

These two periods will allow a comparison of expenditure and supplies shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic and now. 

Return completed spreadsheets with details to ppefuturedemand@dhsc.gov.uk by Tuesday 4 August 2020.

Download the DHSC letter with further details

Download the excel spreadsheet for reporting


PPE delivery statistics (England): weekly reports – 14 July 2020 – GOV.UK

Experimental statistics about PPE (personal protective equipment) deliveries and related documents. Updated weekly.


Purchasing medical devices for social care – 9 July 2020 – MHRA

Presentation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on: which items providers should buy, how and why decisions to expediate CE marking was made, and how providers can find out if a non-CE marked product is suitable. (A CE mark is a logo that is placed on medical devices to show they conform to the requirements in the Medical Devices Directives.)


How to work safely in care homes – Updated 15 June 2020 – GOV.UK

Updated guidance on PPE for care workers working in care homes during sustained COVID-19 transmission in England. Updates include: addition of questions and answers; addition of information on care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism; and further detail added to recommendations including specification of surgical mask types (defined in consultation with HSE and MHRA).


How to work safely in domiciliary care in England - Updated 15 June 2020 – GOV.UK

Updated guidance on PPE for care workers delivering home care during sustained COVID-19 transmission in England. Updates include: addition of questions and answers; addition of information on care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism; and further detail added to recommendations including specification of surgical mask types (defined in consultation with HSE and MHRA).


Critical PPE supplies for small residential and domiciliary care providers – 10 June 2020 - DHSC

As part of their national effort to ensure critical PPE continues to be delivered to those on the frontline, DHSC has invited all small residential care providers (care homes with 24 beds or fewer), small domiciliary care providers (99 clients or fewer) and GPs to register and order with the PPE Portal, in order to help meet their PPE needs in the current climate. 

All providers of these types should regularly check their email accounts registered with the CQC/MHRA in order to ensure that the email invitation is received and actioned.


Emergency supplies of PPE – 3 June 2020 – GOV.UK

Emergency supplies of PPE will be made available to small care providers, small domiciliary care providers and GPs – expanding capacity nationally over next few weeks. There is currently no charge for PPE at the point of order through the portal. As the portal is acting as an emergency top-up route, health and care providers should use their business as usual routes first, which will include wholesalers, and then turn to the portal for additional supplies if needed. Once invited, users will be able to place an order for PPE once per week.


New PPE portal and suppliers: press release – 26 May 2020 – GOV.UK

The government has signed deals with more than 100 new suppliers from around the world as well as ramping up domestic production to help meet demand for PPE. GPs and small residential and domiciliary social care services are invited to register for the online PPE ordering system. A small residential social care provider is defined as one with 24 beds or fewer, while a small domiciliary care provider has 99 clients or fewer. Access the new PPE Portal.


No VAT on PPE for three months – 30 April 2020 – GOV.UK

PPE for care services and individuals to protect against COVID-19 will be free from VAT for three months from 1 May to 31 July.


How to work safely in care homes – 17 April 2020 – GOV.UK

Guidance for those working in care homes providing information on how to work safely during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19. Includes guidance on use of PPE.


Guidance on PPE for the care sector: DHSC communication – 15 April 2020 - DHSC (PDF)

Message to care providers from the Department of Health and Social care on PPE. The message covers: an update on current advice, superseded advice, upcoming tools, access and supply routes


PPE national plan and supplies for social care providers – 10 April 2020 – GOV.UK

The Government’s national plan includes details on PPE supplies to registered social care providers.


Suppliers offering items to care providers – National portal – GOV.UK

Many organisations are coming forward with new offers of supplies, such as PPE, to social care providers. They may be offering to change their production line in order to produce PPE.

 

Potential suppliers should log their details on the government’s online portal on Coronavirus - support from business.


The CPA has have been assured by the government that action will be taken in relation to the these offers of support from businesses.  The CPA cannot act as a central procurement or referral service, but we are reporting organisations appearing to be engaging in profiteering from the crisis.


Potential suppliers can also register with these new initiatives which are connecting genuine suppliers with social care providers in need of PPE:

Suppliers offering items to care providers – National portal – GOV.UK

Many organisations are coming forward with new offers of supplies, such as PPE, to social care providers. They may be offering to change their production line in order to produce PPE.

 

Potential suppliers should log their details on the government’s online portal on Coronavirus - support from business.


The CPA has have been assured by the government that action will be taken in relation to the these offers of support from businesses.  The CPA cannot act as a central procurement or referral service, but we are reporting organisations appearing to be engaging in profiteering from the crisis.


Potential suppliers can also register with these new initiatives which are connecting genuine suppliers with social care providers in need of PPE:

 

PPE – Access all government guidance on PPE hub – 10 April 2020 – GOV.UK

This guidance contains information on personal protective equipment, and infection prevention and control.

 

Contact details re PPE supplies§

Local authorities

Names of Directors of Adult Social Services are available on the ADASS website.

Not all email addresses are published on the ADASS site. Most council email addresses will take the form of 'firstname.surname@nameofcouncil.gov.uk'   For example 'jo.bloggs@barnet.gov.uk'


Local Resilience Forums

Local Resilience Forums.


Suppliers Providing PPE

 

National Supply Disruption Response Team

Tel: 0800 915 9964

Email: supplydisruptionservice@nhsbsa.nhs.uk


CPA members

If providers are unable to contact their local DASS or LRF, or if they have any concerns, they should contact their CPA member organisation.

 

Food supplies (including supermarkets)§

Wholesale food distributors available to care sector – 16 April 2020 – CPA

Care services that are struggling with food supplies, can find local wholesale food distributors online. Many wholesalers are also opening up their services to the general public during the Covid-19 outbreak. CPA has published details of the main distributors.


Supermarkets and priority access for care staff – 16 April 2020 – CPA

The CPA has been lobbying all the main supermarkets to ensure they provide priority access to care staff. We list those who are currently providing access, and we are continuing to lobby those who are not.


Open letter to supermarket chief executives – 26 March 2020 – CPA (PDF)

The CPA has written to all chief executives of supermarkets asking that  care workers and staff within the social care sector be treated with the same level of recognition as NHS staff in gaining priority access to food and groceries at supermarkets. The CPA has asked that, whilst there is no official means to prove their identity at the moment, that social care workers producing a letter from their employer or the Local Authority or legitimate evidence be sufficient to confirm their status.


Template letter re key worker status – 31 March 2020 – CPA

Care providers may wish to provide staff with a letter to clarify their key worker status. CPA has developed a template letter which providers can personalise.


Cash support for food redistribution during coronavirus outbreak – 3 April 2020 – GOV.UK

The government has announced a £3 million fund for organisations redistributing safe surplus food to those who need it during the coronavirus outbreak.

See all related information on coronavirus.