Policy paper

Free personal protective equipment (PPE) scheme

The provision of free PPE for all health, social care and public sector workers for COVID-19 infection control, between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024.

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published
30 September 2021
Last updated
4 March 2024 — See all updates
This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

This publication was withdrawn on

The free personal protective equipment (PPE) scheme ended on 31 March 2024. See further information from NHS Supply Chain on PPE transition.

Applies to England

Documents

[Withdrawn] Free personal protective equipment scheme

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[Withdrawn] Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category

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Details

The purpose of the scheme is to support the government’s COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19 strategy during a challenging period of global inflation and cost of living pressures.

The continued provision of free PPE for COVID-19 will:

  • protect frontline healthcare staff, the elderly and vulnerable
  • reduce pressure on the NHS

The scheme has been extended until 31 March 2024 or until the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) stocks for COVID-19 supply are depleted (whichever is sooner). We encourage providers to only order PPE based on current demand - DHSC will not accept returns of unused or expired PPE. Order limits will continue to apply and order volumes will be monitored.

‘Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category’ shows DHSC estimated stock-out dates when DHSC expects to run out of specific types of PPE.

Updates to this page

Published 30 September 2021
Last updated 4 March 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates: updated 'Gowns, sterile, surgical gown, zonal impervious ≥ 200cm, extra large (XL)' from February 2024 to March 2024 and removed: 'masks, FFP3, Valmy, VR352' and added it to 'Out of stock' list.

  2. Updated stock-out dates for: Gloves, nitrile, extra large (XL), 240mm and Gowns, sterile, surgical gown, standard ≥ 50cm, large (L), both to March 2024.

  3. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates: updated 'gloves, nitrile, extra large (XL), 240mm' to February 2024 and moved 'hand hygiene, cleanser alcohol hand rub, 50 to 150ml, flip top' to the list of out-of-stock items.

  4. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates; moved 'masks, type IIR, ties' to the list of out-of-stock items.

  5. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' to move 'eye protectors, visor' to the list of out-of-stock items.

  6. Added a new item 'Gowns, sterile, surgical gown, standard lite ≥ 20cm, extra large long (XLL)' to the attachment 'Estimated stock out dates by PPE category'. Updated the list of 'Out of stock items' to show that the following are now out of stock: 'gloves, latex' and 'gloves, nitrile, extra extra large (XXL), 240mm'.

  7. Updated 'Gowns, sterile, surgical gown, standard high performance ≥ 100cm, extra large long (XLL)' to March 2024.

  8. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  9. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  10. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  11. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  12. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  13. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  14. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  15. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  16. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  17. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  18. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  19. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  20. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  21. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  22. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  23. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  24. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  25. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  26. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  27. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  28. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  29. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  30. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  31. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  32. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  33. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  34. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  35. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  36. Updated 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category' with current estimates.

  37. Updated to add 'Estimated stock-out dates by PPE category'.

  38. Updated to reflect the extension of the free PPE scheme to the end of March 2024 or until DHSC’s stocks are depleted (whichever is sooner).

  39. Updated to say that the previous IPC guidance for PPE is now the National Infection Prevention Control Manual (NIPCM) guidance, and the free PPE scheme has been extended until the end of March 2023 or until the NIPCM guidance is withdrawn or significantly amended.

  40. First published.

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