Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using single-use endoscopes on (a) hospital-acquired infections, (b) patient safety and (c) the prevalence of antibiotic resistant organisms in care environments.

The purchase and use of single-use equipment is determined by individual National Health Service trusts which consider the relevant facilities, workforce, finances and patient population when selecting the most appropriate medical equipment.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently reviewing single-use endoscopes, taking into consideration hospital acquired infections, patient safety and the prevalence of antibiotic resistant organisms in care environments. This will review all factors, including economic and environmental sustainability. There are no current plans to deploy single-use endoscopes in any setting.