Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the research published by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 29 June 2021 entitled FFP3 respirators protect healthcare workers against infection with SARS-CoV-2, whether the Government plans to revise the guidance on the use of FFP3 masks by health and care staff on covid-19 wards.

The United Kingdom Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Cell continually monitors and reviews emerging evidence and data. The Cell has considered the findings of this research and concluded that, as there are some limitations in the scientific methods that were implemented, the study does not change the overall evidence base supporting the current IPC guidelines.