New PPE guidance for NHS staff during COVID-19 pandemic published

on 03 April 2020

New guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) has been published for NHS staff across the UK in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guidance, which has been produced in consultation with the Royal College of Midwives and other healthcare bodies, includes specific advice on the use of PPE by staff working in maternity services.

It includes the use of PPE for home visits by midwives, antenatal clinics and in maternity units during labour.

Commenting on the guidance, RCM’s Executive Director for Professional Leadership, Birte Harlev-Lam, said: “It is absolutely vital that everyone working on the NHS frontline, including midwives and MSWs, are properly protected. That is why having these new guidelines is so welcome.

“Now that we have them, we must make sure that maternity staff get all the right equipment, particularly those supporting women in labour. That protects women as much as it helps NHS staff. Midwives and MSWs will continue to work hard to defeat this virus. This is a national struggle to which we are all committed. In return we want the Government to keep the supply of PPE flowing into our hospitals, and to ratchet up the testing of staff without further delay.”

Guidance on PPE during the coronavirus outbreak can be found here.