Personal Protective Equipment reminder

EEAST will continue to follow the PPE guidance outlined in the Clinical Guidance for Care of Patients During Winter 2021/22 and AACE working safely guidance.

We remain dynamic and up to date with the latest IP&C guidance. When changes to the clinical guidance occur, we ensure that these changes are adopted in a timely manner and communicated to you appropriately.

The current PPE guidance has been summarised below.

All clinical and non-clinical staff and visitors must wear surgical face masks when moving around Trust premises. This applies to all EEAST buildings including all Trust operational sites, control centres and offices buildings.

The current required level of PPE to be used as a minimum for the care of all patient’s is:

Level 2: For all direct patient care as a minimum

• disposable gloves
• disposable apron
• fluid resistant surgical mask (Type IIR) (FRSM)
• eye protection/face shield (if risk of splashing and for all suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients)

Level 3: when aerosol generating procedures are going to be performed

• disposable gloves
• fluid repellent coveralls
• FFP3 or powered respirator hood
• eye protection/face shield (not required with a powered respirator as hood includes eye protection)

Care should be taken to ensure that PPE is donned and doffed correctly to avoid inadvertent contamination.

Donning and doffing information can be found on the COVID Homepage by following this link.

Standard precautions

PPE is only one measure in the set of precautions used to mitigate infection risk. If tasks can be avoided and/or modified to reduce contact with staff and patients, then these measures should be implemented first. Using PPE is a measure that MUST be used in conjunction with all other precautions including:

• patient placement and assessment for infection risk (screening/triaging)
• hand hygiene
• respiratory and cough hygiene
• personal protective equipment
• safe management and decontamination of the environment
• safe management of care equipment
• safe management of healthcare linen
• safe management of blood and body fluids
• safe disposal of waste (including sharps)
• occupational safety: prevention and exposure management

Thank you all for your continued efforts

Published 12th April 2022