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WQ.140/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 21st APRIL 2020
Question
Will the Minister –
- explain how, if at all, the Government's management of issues around the provision of personal protection equipment (P.P.E.) adheres to World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) or National Health Service (N.H.S.) standards to ensure that staff are not at risk of exposure to Covid-19;
- advise whether this management includes the rationing of P.P.E. in the Hospital or other healthcare settings; and
- explain how the Government's co-operation with care homes ensures that staff in such homes (including those delivering domiciliary care in people's homes) are properly protected from exposure to Covid-19?
Answer
- PPE use and application under the Covid-19 pandemic is aligned to the advice and guidance issued by Public Health in Jersey. The Jersey guidelines are based closely on those for the NHS, as developed by Public Health England. The purpose of the guidelines is to support and protect health and care and other essential workers who are working with confirmed COVID-19 cases and suspected cases. The guidance provides staff with information about the most effective and efficient use of PPE for the various actions they are required to deliver as part of their work.
- A PPE coordination Cell' has been created to manage the demand on PPE across all in-scope organisations that require PPE to continue essential services (including HCS, private health care providers and utility companies). The Cell will prioritise the distribution of stores, with advice provided by a specialist Risk Stratification Group (RSG) made up of clinical and logistic experts. This RSG will ensure approval of PPE in line with current PPE advice guidelines at the time of processing the request.
- A PPE portal has been created that is available to in-scope organisations agreed by the Government of Jersey. (This scope encompasses some 150 organisations with varying degrees of PPE requirements.) This approach has been taken to ensure that the available supply is managed and issued appropriately in support of the published PPE guidelines, responds to the requests of the organisations in scope and, in turn, provides assurance to the Government of Jersey of the island's preparedness. The portal can be accessed by a confidential link and will provide access to a list of prescribed PPE – masks, gowns, gloves etc.