Statement from AGP Alliance

The Delta Variant and a surge in Covid-19 Positive cases has created a new urgency for Government guidance for healthcare workers to be updated.

Representatives from over 20 healthcare organisations, including the AGP alliance* met with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England/Improvement, Public Health England and IPC on 3 June 2021 to press the Government to change its UK Infection Prevention Control Guidance to reflect short and long-range airborne transmission of COVID-19 and to recognise the need to provide frontline healthcare workers with enhanced PPE.

A presentation was made to the meeting delegates and a PDF version can be downloaded below.

Whilst welcoming the Government’s proposal to have further stakeholder meetings, the alliance was both surprised and disappointed that new, compelling scientific evidence and changes to guidance in the US and Europe were not considered strong enough reasons to change their guidance at this time.

The alliance still believes that immediate changes to the guidance are essential. They should not be delayed.

The new Delta variant and recent surges in COVID-19 positive cases make the case urgent for healthcare workers to be fully protected and provided with FFP3 masks when seeing patients.

*The Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP) alliance members (June 2021)

Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology; BAPEN; British Association of Stroke Physicians; British Dietetic Association; British Society of Gastroenterology; Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; College of Paramedics; Confederation of British Surgery; Doctors Association UK; Fresh Air NHS; GMB Union; Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association; Med Supply Drive; National Nurses Nutrition Group; Queen’s Nursing Institute, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists; Trident HS; Unite the Union

Further information and links:

RCN: https://www.rcn.org.uk/get-help/rcn-advice/personal-protective-equipment-ppe-and-covid-19