Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government in which NHS ambulance service trust areas paramedics do not have access to full personal protection equipment when transporting suspected COVID-19 patients.

This information is not held.

Regular guidance has been issued to ambulance trusts on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be used in different circumstances. Staff should ensure the correct level of PPE is worn dependent on the patient presentation and the clinical skills that are required during patient care.

We are aware of the concerns about the supply of PPE. COVID-19 is generating unprecedented global demand on the supply chain, combined with a manufacturing slowdown in affected countries. The Government, NHS Supply Chain, and the National Health Service are doing everything to work with industry to secure additional supplies and manufacture further PPE.