Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an independent audit has been carried out of the isolation procedures and practical skills of staff in National Health Service hospitals designated to treat any ebola patients.

All National Health Service trusts and providers of independent healthcare and adult social care in England are required to comply with The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance (2009). This includes standards around infection control provision. A copy is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216227/dh_123923.pdf

The Care Quality Commission takes this code into account when making decisions about the registration of a provider.

Those NHS trusts that have been designated as having specialist infection control facilities (Royal Free Hospital London, Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital and Sheffield Teaching Hospital) are subject to additional checks. In line with the requirements set out under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), the designated person from Health and Safety Executive’s Biological Agents Unit Hazardous Installations has visited each of the units and continues to work closely with them.