PPE in health and social care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

PPE in health and social care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – sources of advice

Removal of most coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions

This page is up to date following the removal of most restrictions in England. There are different regulations and guidance to follow for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The latest advice on keeping workplaces safe will help you assess the risks and continue to reduce COVID-19 transmission. This includes links to information on vaccination, as well as on testing, tracking and tracing (including where variants are spreading).

HSE has advice to help employers and workers in health and social care:

Fitting respirators – respiratory protective equipment (RPE) must be fitted and used correctly for it to be effective. Find out more on fit testing face masks for healthcare workers
Using disposable respirator – poster
Review of evidence of the use of PPE in healthcare – Experts from HSE and PHE carried out a rapid review of the evidence supporting the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare and in the context of COVID-19 in March 2020

There is also core guidance available:

PPE hub – GOV.UK provides Public Health England (PHE) advice on infection prevention and control in health, social care and non-healthcare sectors
Guidance on supply and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) – NHS guidance
Protecting our frontline staff – Scottish Government guidance
Information for healthcare workers – Welsh Government guidance

We review and update this page regularly to reflect any changes in guidance.

Page last reviewed: 30 September 2021

Next review due: 31 October 2021