Alison James from Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust asks:

We are currently supporting our workforce with providing advice and guidance to Line Managers and staff following risk assessments for COVID-19.  Some of our advice involves ‘enhanced PPE’ and where we may advise a higher-grade mask (FFP3) instead of a surgical mask in order to mitigate the risk as much as possible for a specific individual with higher clinical vulnerabilities to COVID-19.  Our Infection Prevention Control colleagues have challenged our advice and do not agree that this mask provides additional protection unless for Aerosol Generating Procedures.  Are any other OH services having the same issues with this advice and, if so, have they managed to come to an agreed position?

Please respond direct to alison.james@ghc.nhs.uk and cc. to admin@nhshealthatwork.co.uk  

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