Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Increased Demand Update (ICN 2790)
Important Customer Notice Product Update
- The NHS is facing increased demand for PPE products due to rising cases of respiratory viral infections, including RSV, influenza, and COVID.
- This has led to local decisions to raise orders for exceptionally high quantities of PPE products for use across hospitals and community settings.
- We are also hearing that some trusts are now running low on push stock, leading to an increase in PPE demand.
- Whilst we have increased stock levels to account for seasonal changes, we are experiencing demand beyond normal winter patterns.
- As a precautionary measure to ensure continuity of supply across all trusts, some products may need to be placed on demand management.
- See our Useful Links section for guidance on infection control for NHS healthcare staff of all disciplines in all care settings.
Customer action required
To help us manage demand effectively and plan deliveries during this time, please follow our guidelines.
Demand Management Guidelines:
No increase in demand
- Order quantity thresholds have been set to meet your usual winter demand.
- Place consistent daily orders to ensure you receive your maximum daily allocation.
- If your allocation is insufficient, please contact Customer Services who can submit a demand management escalation on your behalf for your threshold to be reviewed and/or an injection of stock sent.
Increase in demand
- If you anticipate needing significantly more than your usual winter quantities, you must tell us before placing the order. Please complete a demand capture form and submit to:
Core Admin Support
- This will help us adjust your daily threshold accordingly. Once received, the detail will be input into our database, and you will receive written confirmation that it has been done.
- See our Downloads ▼ section to access the demand capture form.
- For urgent needs, please contact Customer Services before placing your order. This will allow us to fully understand your requirements and enable us to plan demand and deliveries and prevent wider impact on national supply.
If you are ordering a new product that you have not ordered before, or you plan on switching product, to help ensure your order is fulfilled, please complete a demand capture form and submit to us prior to placing the order:
Core Admin Support
See our Downloads ▼ section to access the demand capture form.
If there are changes to local Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidelines and practices, including changes in mask usage, please let your ICS Manager or Customer Services Advisor know straight away. This will help us maintain appropriate flow of products on a national basis.
How we’re supporting
We continue to work with our suppliers to ensure continuity of supply of PPE products.
See our Downloads ▼ section to view the regularly updated product matrix of affected products with alternatives.
Please contact our Customer Services team for any support or queries related to demand management and orders.
All future updates will be provided on this ICN which will be updated, as a minimum, on a fortnightly basis.
Latest updates:
- Type IIR and FFP3 face masks have been placed on demand management.
- If your preferred Type IIR mask is unavailable, please order a direct alternative.
- BWM85057 and BWM85003 are also nationally available Type IIR alternatives for consideration.
- If your preferred FFP3 masks is unavailable, alternative products are available but users of FFP3 masks are required to be FIT tested for using the specific make and model of respirator facemask. Guidance should be adhered to for use of alternative FFP3 masks.
- eDirect code BWM85095 is currently suspended with an expected resolution date of 1 March 2025. Please order the alternative listed in the product matrix, which is the stocked product BWM85057.
- See our Downloads ▼ section to access the product matrix for further information on the affected product codes and potential alternatives.
- Please note, some products are only visible to certain customers.
- The Voice of the Customer team will be hosting the next Medical and Surgical Consumables Customer Panel on Thursday 6 February, between 12pm-1pm, where a broad PPE overview will be provided and there will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions. If you would like to attend this, please contact us.
Voice of the Customer (VoC) Team
Download our publications ▼
-
2790 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Product Matrix 9 January 2025
An Excel file showing the product matrix with alternatives for ICN 2790.
-
2790 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Demand Capture Form
An Excel file showing the demand capture form for ICN 2790.