Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Health and Safety Executive has (a) issued guidance and (b) provided other advice to his Department on the use of face coverings for workers in health care settings.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not issued any specific advice or guidance to the Department on the use of face coverings for workers in health care settings. This would routinely be done through NHS England or UK Health Security Agency and implemented through the NHS England’s National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM). The NIPCM, published by NHS England in April 2022, is used by health care providers in all healthcare settings in England.