Should Free PPE be Extended Beyond March 2022? - Policy Consultation Response

This report discusses whether free PPE should be extended beyond March 2022 and presents the opinions of interested citizens with special needs. The report also suggests alternative options to consider, such as public awareness programs and the use of homemade masks and surgical gloves.

POLICY CONSULATION
RESPONSE

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
To what extent do you agree that free PPE should be extended beyond 31 March 2022 for 12
months?........................................................................................................................................3
Is it important to consider the different options as an alternative options. If yes, then what it
would be.......................................................................................................................................4
Discussion....................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Recently, in UK the COVID has shown its drastic effect over the people and the economy. The
department of the health and social care has assured the free delivery of PPE to the different
health care organizations. So, they can focus on the treatment of COVID patients. PPE are the
personal protective equipments Which are designed to protect the doctors while treating COVID
patients. The demand for PPE has been increased from the COVID. This resulted in increasing in
the expenses of the hospitals in the UK. This report will illustrate the opinions of the interested
citizen with special needs, as a representative of the disabled community.
The rationale of the response
The main objective behind this response is to showing the concern towards the health care
centres. During COVID, these centres has performed their best in order to treat the patients. And
still they are giving their best. As a representative of the disabled community, it is the major that
responsibility tom put focus on the major issues in the society.
MAIN BODY
To what extent do you agree that free PPE should be extended beyond 31 March 2022 for 12
months?
STRONGLY AGREE
As a community citizen The PPE provision should be extended as it would be helpful for the
disabled people in the community. The option is related to increase the validity for free services
for all the products related to the PPE as it is essential in dealing with the Corona pandemic. But
the PPE kit was not centralized, as people of community are buying it from the health care
services providers. To be a active citizen of the disabled community who prefer the service of
PPE the answer for this comment should be strongly agree. As PPE kit essential to deal with the
covid patient. With this health and care service provider will prevent from the virus infection (De
Camargo, 2021). PPE kit helps the all health care service providers to treat the covid patient as
due to the intensity of virus, as this virus is contagious what if the service provider also get
infected while treating the patient. Therefore, it is important to provide the free services for PPE
so that effective treatment can be made for the patient. The decision which the department of

health and social care (DHSC) has taken to provide the free PPE kit to the front-line workers also
provide the access to the NHS or other health care providers. As the DHSC is taking decision to
end the free services for PPE provision this will give the impact on the health care service
provider. Eventually the services was directly provided by the DHSC but now they have to select
the vendor in the market who can provide them this services.
For the extension of the services should be continued as no other chances are appeared as
which shows the ending of the pandemic. Therefore, health care service provider must required a
PPE kit as it gives the protection from infection. It is very important to wear the PPE kit for
instance if the service care provider does not wear PPE kit and treated the covid patient there are
full chances for the worker to get infected. Also, it is contagious then it can be life threatening
for their family members as well. So the free services for PPE need to be extended until the
chances where the contagious of virus is not at its extreme level (Calder, Lawson and Calder,
2021) PPE is the necessary element which ensures the safety of the workers as well as for their
family member. As for the free service provider there might have chances that they feel finance
burden for that they need to involve the active participation of other stakeholders as well. As a
citizen who prefer the services of the PPE this decision should be great to extend the free
services as it enables to wear the PPE every time when dealing with the Covid patient. It also
enables the health care workers to take all the precaution to protect from the virus. With these
workers does not feel pressure to treat the corona patient, with free services every worker
proceed to wear PPE kit it prevents them from getting infected and enables them to provide the
better services (Mohrsen, 2020).
Is it important to consider the different options as an alternative options. If yes, then what it
would be
 YES
As an interested citizen with special needs, I believe that, it is needed to have alternate options in
the areas where the situation has become critical for the society.
It is important to consider different alternative in managing the need of PPE. The supplying of
PPE is depends upon the instructions of IPC. Therefore, different alternatives are needed to be
kept in mind so, they can be helpful in terms of fighting COVID. Recently, the impacts of
COVID has been lowered in the UK. But, the healthcare centres are still providing their best in

order to treat the patients. The DHSC is waiting for the guidance of IPC. (Osei-Bonsu and et.al.,
2019). On the basis of their guidance, the supply of PPE will be extended. If the IPC guidance
does not suggest any change then the supply of PPE will continue till 31 march 2020. But what,
if in mid the IPC made any recommendation therefore having some alternative is mandatory. The
impact of COVID has already decreased. Therefore, implementing the programmes that are
related to the public awareness will result in decreasing the rate of COVID patients.
 Such programmes will initiate the people to take more precaution. As a result, the need of
PPE will reduce. And the danger of getting virus will also get sort. Using of home made
mask can be according to the current scenario of the COVID. (Dunphy, 2020). Giving
this mask to the client that are coming to the hospitals can helps in preventing the risk of
getting virus. Free distribution of mask has been done under such programmes and the
technique of making and using it should be discussed with the hospitals and public.
 Cloths mask has been proven extremely effective in terms of surgical mask. Using those
mask can be helpful. (Carobbio and et.al., 2021). These can be used till then it becomes
wet and soiled.
 Surgery gloves can be used two times by making them clean, dry and enable them to
autoclaved for one additional use. The gloves must be dry completely so, they do not get
stick together.
 Another technique that can be applied on surgical technique is that, they can even be
boiled. After getting boiled pick the help of sterile instrument and then put them into the
sterile container.
 One of the best technique that has can be considered is that using of kitchen dishwashing
gloves. (Senthilkumaran and et.al., 2020). So, the doctors can wash their hand again and
again and wear the same set. It will be more effective. Providing this set of gloves can
result as beneficial. It has been further found from various studies that, washing this
gloves for 20 seconds with soap makes the gloves totally disinfected.
 Coordinate with the PPE supply chain management. So the stock of PPE can be managed
whenever its needed.
 Increasing the social awareness in public automatically lowers the cases. It has been
further said that “Prevention is better than cure” therefore, it is needed to organize some

social camps related to the health check up and health guidelines for the public. So, they
can take precautions and saves them from getting infected.
Discussion
The DHSC has proved themselves by providing PPE at free of cost to the different healthcare
centres. This service or help by DSHC should be extended. The healthcare centres in UK worked
hard for day and night at the time 0f COVID. ( Howarth, 2021). They had faced the large number
of danger in order to protect the public. Therefore, these centres deserves benefit of getting PPE
at free of cost. They are helping the public. Not only till, march 2020, they should get PPE at free
of cost till the complete situation of pandemic does not sort. The government of UK has been
proven much efficient in terms of adopting policies for the health care centres. They are still
focusing on implementing more policies for health care centres so, they can easily treat their
patients. As a representative of the disabled community, I am in the favour of providing PPE at
free of cost to the he4alth care organizations. And along with this, different alternatives should
be taken on the top as well. Various public programmes should be launched in order to make
them aware and influence them to have precaution. But, the main thing that is needed to be
considered while arranging such programme that, the social distancing is needed to be
maintained and large number of public should not be involved. Otherwise, the programmes can
take place at online platform as well.

CONCLUSION
The above report has concluded that, the DSHC has proven themselves by providing PPE at free
of cost to the healthcare organizations in the UK. This should be extended till the march 2020 in
order to reduce the expenses of the hospitals. Apart from this the report also highlighted the
different alternatives that should be taken in account in order to lower the impact of COVID.
Along with this, those alternatives can be used for the PPE.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Calder, S.J., Lawson, L. and Calder, P.R., 2021. A phenomenological exploration of the lived
experiences of orthopaedic surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bulletin of the
Royal College of Surgeons of England. 103(5). pp.248-253.
Carobbio, A.L.C., and et.al., 2021. Microsurgical procedures during COVID-19 pandemic: the
VITOM® 3D-HD exoscopic system as alternative to the operating microscope to properly
use personal protective equipment (PPE). European Archives of Oto-Rhino-
Laryngology. 278(6). pp.2129-2132.
De Camargo, C., 2021. The postcode lottery of safety: COVID-19 guidance and shortages of
personal protective equipment (PPE) for UK police officers. The Police Journal,
p.0032258X211018768.
Dunphy, B., 2020. Alternative teaching aids. British dental journal. 228(8). pp.567-568.
Howarth, W., 2021. PPE for SARS-Cov-2 and the utility of single-use aprons. Journal of
Paramedic Practice. 13(10). pp.431-435.
Mohrsen, S., 2020. COVID-19: experiences of roadside logistics from a UK air ambulance
service. Journal of Paramedic Practice. 12(7). pp.263-268.
Osei-Bonsu, K., and et.al., 2019. Alternative doffing strategies of personal protective equipment
to prevent self-contamination in the health care setting. American journal of infection
control. 47(5). pp.534-539.
Senthilkumaran, S., and et.al., 2020. Plastic bag with holes as an alternative to face shield: our
experiences. Journal of Emergency Medicine. 59(3). pp.444-445.