Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions officials from his Department have had with representatives of (a) NHS England and (b) Public Health England on the aerosol generating procedures undertaken by speech and language therapists.

The United Kingdom Government has published guidance on appropriate personal protective equipment for health and social care workers and provides a list of current procedures which are considered to be potentially infectious aerosol generating procedures for COVID-19. This guidance has been written and reviewed by all four UK public health bodies and informed by NHS infection prevention control experts. It is based on Health Protection Scotland evidence reviews and the evidence and reviews have been endorsed by the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group. It is regularly reviewed and updated.