Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what communication they have had with individual nursing and care homes about emergency sources of supplies of personal protective equipment since 15 March; whether the Care Quality Commission was involved in any such communications; and whether a lack of personal protective equipment for staff during a pandemic is grounds for questioning a care home’s Care Quality Commission registration.

Every Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered provider received at least 300 face masks in mid-March to meet a spike in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). Providers can contact their Local Resilience Forum (LRF) if they are unsuccessful in obtaining PPE and can request an emergency PPE pack through the National Supply Disruption Response system if they cannot access PPE through their LRF. The CQC has disseminated guidance and information on PPE from central Government to the health and social care sectors and has engaged social care stakeholders to check understanding and provide clarity. The CQC’s Emergency Support Framework also considers issues arising out of a lack of PPE. Any enforcement action, which could impact on a provider’s registration, is balanced against wider pressures including obtaining PPE.