Experimental statistics

Question 1

Main points

Accepted Answer

From 25 February 2020 to 30 September 2022, DHSC distributed 23.2 billion items of PPE, predominantly for use by health and social care services in England.

In the first full year of operations (from 25 February 2020 to 24 February 2021), 8.50 billion items of PPE were distributed predominantly for use by health and social care services in England.

This compares with approximately 2.04 billion items distributed between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019 to all NHS trusts and some social care organisations. This figure is a partial snapshot of the PPE used in the system before the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHS Supply Chain has since been expanded to 58,000 different settings, including care homes, hospices and community care organisations, many of which use the e-Portal to order PPE.

Between 1 July and 30 September 2022, DHSC distributed 1.78 billion PPE items for use by health and social care services in England. These are distributed through the PPE Dedicated Supply Channel, NHS Supply Chain and other routes (see Table 1 for more details).

PPE was first ordered through the e-Portal on 9 April 2020. From 9 April 2020 to 30 September 2022, 8.75 billion PPE items have been ordered through the e-Portal.

Between 1 July and 30 September 2022, 873 million PPE items have been ordered through the e-Portal.

Organisations may procure additional PPE independently of the PPE programme. Any additional PPE is not included in this data.

Question 2

PPE distribution updates

Accepted Answer

In the tables below all items are counted individually unless specified. In particular:

gloves are counted singly, not as pairs, and are delivered as boxes of 200 items – clinical procedures may use 1, 2 or 4 gloves at a time
hand hygiene is now being consistently reported in litres to allow meaningful comparisons to be made – hand hygiene products include hand wash and alcohol-based hand sanitiser

Table 1 reports the PPE distribution for the latest 3 calendar months and the total since the start of the PPE programme. The cumulative total is reported as a total for the first year of operation (25 February 2020 to 24 February 2021) and a total for the whole period since 25 February 2020.

Table 1: number of PPE items distributed, predominantly for use by health and social care services in England, by item

PPE item	1 Jul 2022 to 31 Jul 2022	1 Aug 2022 to 31 Aug 2022	1 Sep 2022 to 30 Sep 2022	Cumulative total: 25 Feb 2020 to 30 Sep 2022	Full year total: 25 Feb 2020 to 24 Feb 2021	2019: 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2019
Aprons	49,292,000	51,576,000	55,952,000	2,823,332,000	1,220,674,000	161,632,000
Body bags	7,000	6,000	7,000	357,000	218,000	85,000
Clinical waste bags	1,688,000	1,617,000	1,444,000	100,022,000	65,221,000	49,813,000
Coveralls	9,000	8,000	7,000	1,835,000	1,133,000	0
Eye protectors	1,181,000	907,000	1,040,000	168,935,000	110,042,000	482,000
Face mask FFP2	25,000	2,000	2,000	11,473,000	9,588,000	523,000
Face mask FFP3	1,499,000	1,264,000	785,000	151,773,000	76,786,000	2,810,000
Face mask II	0	0	0	57,265,000	11,221,000	0
Face mask IIR	85,480,000	88,976,000	71,881,000	3,625,459,000	1,240,622,000	18,532,000
Face mask other	0	0	0	263,000	263,000	0
Face mask transparent	0	0	0	380,000	363,000	0
Fit testing	1,000	3,000	2,000	297,000	166,000	7,000
General purpose detergent	42,000	32,000	19,000	79,753,000	61,325,000	37,700,000
Gloves	488,104,000	444,558,000	419,036,000	15,502,484,000	5,374,934,000	1,763,164,000
Gowns	1,071,000	939,000	935,000	89,693,000	38,829,000	749,000
Hand hygiene	610,000	147,000	482,000	17,679,000	7,478,000	2,048,000
Swabs	2,671,000	1,188,000	3,111,000	599,405,000	277,505,000	1,006,000
Total	631,680,000	591,222,000	554,702,000	23,230,405,000	8,496,367,000	2,038,550,000

The data reported in Table 1 includes all types of PPE, items that are critical for infection control^{[footnote 1]} ^{[footnote 2]} and a small number of transparent face masks.^{[footnote 3]} These items were made available through NHS Supply Chain during the COVID-19 pandemic because there was a significant increase in usage. Some of these items were not available through NHS Supply Chain in 2019. All numbers in Table 1 are rounded to the nearest thousand, unless they are less than 1,000 in which case they are rounded to the nearest hundred. Due to rounding, the table totals may not equal the sum of the columns.

PPE distributed by distribution channel

The PPE programme distributes some PPE directly, such as to NHS hospitals. Alternative distribution channels are available for other sectors in health and social care, particularly when PPE requirements are smaller. The total statistics reported include PPE delivered using all these channels, which include:

local resilience forums (LRFs) – these enabled the local distribution of PPE. They are still active in many areas but have been replaced by local authorities in some parts of England
local authorities – in areas where the LRFs stood down on 14 September 2020, the local authority has taken responsibility for distribution of PPE
designated wholesalers – these were able to source PPE from the programme for onward distribution. Each wholesaler typically supports a given group of care providers such as GPs, social care providers, community pharmacies or dentists. Data about wholesalers has been reported by the date of delivery to the wholesaler. PPE has not been distributed to wholesalers since 24 January 2021 by DHSC
the e-Portal – this is an online ordering system which is a part of the PPE programme, described in greater detail below

Table 2: number of PPE items distributed using the channels described

Distribution channel	Total number of items of PPE from 25 Feb 2020 to 30 Sep 2022, at least
LRF	339 million
Local authorities	188 million
Wholesalers serving GPs	40 million
Wholesalers serving adult social care	258 million
Wholesalers serving community pharmacies	1.2 million
Wholesalers serving dentists	38 million
Wholesalers total	337 million
e-Portal	8.75 billion

PPE distribution by sector

Distribution by the e-Portal

The e-Portal provides PPE to non-acute settings, predominantly primary care and social care providers. An eligible user is invited to register an account on the e-Portal and is then able to order PPE regularly, up to a given limit, using that account.

Table 3: key dates in e-Portal operations

Date	e-Portal developments
April 2020	The e-Portal began operating.
June 2020	By the end of this month, the majority of eligible GPs and smaller adult social care providers (both domiciliary and residential) were able to register on the e-Portal.
August 2020	Further sectors in both primary care and social care were invited to register.
September 2020	A broader range of sectors registered, more types of PPE available using the e-Portal, and the order limits on accounts were adjusted – for example, to reflect updated government guidance on PPE use.
June 2021	Public services overseen by other government departments (OGDs) including the police, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have been invited to register.
July 2021	Local authorities, LRFs and independent sector providers were invited to register. Independent sector providers include providers who undertake NHS contracts for diagnostic and therapeutic work and mental health providers.
September 2021	Vaccination centres were invited to register.
January 2022	A new platform (Portal 2.0) is replacing the PPE e-Portal for eligible user groups (predominantly primary care and social care but also the public sector more broadly). User testing and a soft launch for the new platform began in January 2021, thereby beginning a phased user transfer from the current e-Portal to the new systems. Some parallel running of the 2 platforms is expected. These published statistics on distribution of COVID-19 PPE and related items reflect distribution through both platforms.
February 2022	The new platform (Portal 2.0) continues to operate. These published distribution statistics reflect items distributed through both the e-Portal and Portal 2.0, for user groups (predominantly primary care and social care but also the public sector more broadly, for example) eligible to use these systems.
April 2022	The original e-Portal closed on 26 April. All users who were registered on the platform have now been moved across to the new, replacement PPE Portal, where they can access features such as: viewing their order limits, accessing order history and tracking an order. Hospices have now been transitioned onto e-Portal and this is now their main PPE distribution route. The increase in orders from this group in Table 4 compared to the previous published value reflects this.

The total amount of PPE which is provided through the e-Portal will be influenced by both the number of accounts registered and the amount which each account orders.

Registration is voluntary: on 30 September 2022, there were 49,549 providers registered on the e-Portal (Portal 2.0), out of 63,549 invited to register.

Registration on the e-Portal includes information about each account holder. Table 4 reports the sector of the account holder for PPE items ordered on the e-Portal in the latest calendar month, and the total since the first order on the e-Portal, on 9 April 2020.

Table 4: number of PPE items ordered using the e-Portal, by sector^{[footnote 4]} ^{[footnote 5]}

Sector	1 Jul 2022 to 31 Jul 2022	1 Aug 2022 to 31 Aug 2022	1 Sep 2022 to 30 Sep 2022	Total PPE items ordered (9 Apr 2020 to 30 Sep 2022)
Adult domiciliary care	85,819,000	83,625,000	87,768,000	2,611,458,000
Adult residential care	127,139,000	126,314,000	130,648,000	3,975,720,000
Children’s homes	61,000	57,000	53,000	5,919,000
Children’s residential and non-residential special schools	141,000	51,000	165,000	7,099,000
Dentists and orthodontists	42,142,000	42,250,000	42,295,000	1,190,525,000
Drug and alcohol services (community and residential)	148,000	101,000	98,000	6,066,000
GPs	15,665,000	15,271,000	14,128,000	429,308,000
Hospices	1,330,000	1,639,000	1,445,000	8,521,000
Independent sector providers	1,280,000	1,320,000	891,000	16,834,000
Local authorities and LRFs	5,129,000	9,839,000	11,380,000	114,927,000
Optometrists	1,544,000	1,211,000	1,022,000	82,208,000
Other government departments	1,387,000	1,932,000	1,281,000	25,007,000
Pharmacies	1,393,000	1,123,000	1,287,000	78,175,000
Umbrella organisations	0	0	0	9,672,000
Vaccination centres	467,000	417,000	643,000	9,171,000
Other	540,000	4,020,000	7,013,000	182,796,000
Total	284,185,000	289,172,000	300,117,000	8,753,407,000

All numbers in Table 4 are rounded to the nearest thousand. Due to rounding, the table totals may not equal the sum of the columns.

Umbrella organisations are predominantly adult domiciliary care or adult residential care. The category ‘Other’ includes orders where the sector of the account holder is not noted. We are working to improve these classifications where possible.

The e-Portal makes available a selection of different types of PPE. The total orders of PPE by sector and by item type are included in the accompanying tables. The distribution of PPE via the e-Portal will not represent the total PPE provided to a sector through the lifetime of the programme. Organisations which join the e-Portal are likely to have previously procured PPE using other distribution channels. Organisations may also procure PPE independently of the PPE programme. Any additional PPE is not included in this data, which shows only the PPE ordered using the e-Portal.

Distribution to other sectors

PPE has been supplied predominantly for use by health and social care services in England. A small amount has been made available to other sectors, including:

over 45 million items of PPE to public services overseen by other government departments and organisations – this includes PPE distributed to Public Health England, Ministry of Defence Medical Service, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Ministry of Justice
over 13 million items of PPE provided to the devolved administrations between April and June 2020^{[footnote 6]} – this data has been ratified by the devolved administrations
a small proportion of items distributed to Crown Dependencies

Question 3

Measuring the data

Accepted Answer

How the data was collected

The data was collected from management information provided by Supply Chain Coordination Limited (NHS Supply Chain) since 25 February 2020. DHSC receives this data daily from NHS Supply Chain which, since April 2020, has been compiled by Clipper Logistics, who have distributed all PPE since April 2020.

Prior to April 2020 some items were distributed from the NHS Supply Chain Regional Distribution Centres. Since April 2020 all products are distributed by Clipper and pass through a central warehouse in Daventry before delivery.

Data for the whole programme is reported by the date of delivery, which covers all PPE items delivered within a 24-hour window from 2am on the date in question up to 2am the next day. Some organisations subsequently further distribute the PPE. For these organisations, the date used is the date of delivery from DHSC to the organisation and not the date of subsequent delivery to the end user.

Items are sometimes recalled, such as when they are faulty or do not meet set criteria. The figures presented are a combination of the number of PPE items distributed minus those recalled and credits for stock that was processed through the system but unfulfilled. Consequently, some days have negative delivery of items. Some items which have been recalled may still feature in the data as they are yet to be removed.

The data is not a measure of PPE use as some items may not be used, while reusable items may be used multiple times.

Clipper Logistics deliver PPE from the main PPE warehouses to the e-Portal warehouses, from which the e-Portal team process the e-Portal orders before delivery. The total delivery data from Clipper reports items by the date of delivery to the e-Portal warehouses. In contrast, the e-Portal data uses the calendar date the order was placed on the e-Portal. Care should be taken when interpreting the relative dates of Clipper delivery and e-Portal orders.

The figures in this bulletin may differ from those previously quoted due to differences in start date and inclusion of items in the definition of PPE.

Coverage

The data covers PPE distributed predominantly for use by health and social care services in England. From 1 February 2022 recycled PPE has been removed from the distribution statistics. We are exploring whether it is possible to present this information separately.

The data includes deliveries from the PPE Dedicated Supply Channel to organisations such as NHS trusts, National Supply Distribution Response, LRFs, local authorities and wholesalers for onward distribution and use by health and social care providers and other users of the e-Portal. These organisations may also procure PPE through other routes, so this data does not constitute all PPE available to NHS trusts, social care and primary care providers.

Quality

These statistics have been put together by DHSC with advice from NHS Supply Chain and the Office for National Statistics on this approach.

More information on quality and how this publication adheres to the Code of Practice for Statistics is available in the statement of compliance.

Future development

DHSC intends to release these statistics regularly while they remain relevant to the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Future updates will be issued quarterly, on the second Thursday of the first month of the quarter.

The timeline below provides an indication of key developments in DHSC’s understanding of this data.

Table 5: key dates in DHSC’s reporting of PPE deliveries data

Date range	Developments in data understanding
1 Jan 2020 to 24 Feb 2020	Data on these deliveries was collected on an ad hoc basis. Data quality is uncertain.
25 Feb 2020	Introduction of the current reporting system for data on distributions of PPE.
25 Feb 2020 to Jun 2020	Regular and rigorous quality checks are implemented as understanding of the data grows. Timeliness of the data improves as frequency of updates increases to 7 days per week.
30 Jun 2020	Publication of DHSC’s first experimental statistics on distributions of PPE. High-level data is now well understood and is subject to regular and rigorous quality checks.
7 Feb 2021	Reporting of LRF and local authority PPE distribution data was updated to include ad hoc deliveries, and deliveries to the London LRF from 14 September 2020.
8 Jun 2021	Publication of the PPE deliveries statistics moved from a weekly schedule to a monthly schedule, on the second Tuesday of the month.
8 Jun 2021	Publication of the first experimental statistics about orders on the e-Portal. This includes the number of registrations and the sector of the user. Data from the e-Portal is reported by the e-Portal order date. Accompanying tables include the breakdown of e-Portal orders by item type and sector.
17 Mar 2022	Publication of the PPE distribution statistics moved from the second Tuesday of the month to the second Thursday of the month.
14 July 2022	The last monthly publication went out in April 2022. Publication has since changed to quarterly. The first quarterly publication went out on 14 July 2022. We expect quarterly publications will fully meet the needs of users, as PPE distribution patterns are now relatively stable over time.

Given the commitment of DHSC to be open and transparent with the public it serves, this data is being released as experimental statistics. DHSC has received requests for data on the distribution of PPE, such as Parliamentary Questions, Freedom of Information requests and other queries.

These experimental statistics are undergoing continual evaluation and development. These figures have not been used for statistical purposes before.

Find out more about experimental statistics from the Governmental Statistics Service (GSS).

For feedback and questions about the release, please contact statistics@dhsc.gov.uk.

Details of face mask types are as follows: FFP2 face masks have a minimum of 94% filtration percentage and a maximum of 8% leakage to the inside. FFP3 face masks have a minimum filtration of 99% and a maximum leakage of 2% to the inside. Type IIR face masks are medical face masks made up of a 4-ply construction and include a splash-resistant layer to protect against blood and other bodily fluids. Other face masks include all other types of face masks and face masks awaiting categorisation. Some of these may be categorised as either FFP2, FFP3, IIR or type II in subsequent publications of this data. ↩
Items that are critical for infection control include cleaning equipment, coveralls, detergents, hand hygiene products and swabs. Paper towels are no longer included as they are not deemed specifically relevant to the COVID-19 PPE response. ↩
Transparent face masks are fast-moving items that are distributed at irregular intervals in small volumes. These are not included in the National infection prevention and control manual for England. ↩
Between 30 March 2022 and 6 April 2022, we were unable to access the e-Portal data which classifies the customer type of the customer making an order, due to technical issues. Where customer information is not available, these have been classified under the ‘Other’ customer type which has resulted in an increase in the ‘Other’ customer category for March and April 2022 compared to previous months. ↩
Since the last publication, there have been improvements to the way we classify a small number of e-Portal orders between January and March 2021. ↩
The PPE distribution figures to each devolved administration from DHSC can be found in Table 3 of the accompanying spreadsheet. For further information about the devolved administrations’ PPE programmes, data on PPE distributed in Scotland has been published by the Scottish Government, data on PPE distributed in Northern Ireland has been published by the Health and Social Care Northern Ireland Business Services Organisation, and data on PPE distributed in Wales has been published by the Welsh Government. ↩

Experimental statistics – personal protective equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England: quarterly update to 30 September 2022

Applies to England