DHSC Free Covid PPE scheme extended until 31 March 2024 or until DHSC’s stock are depleted
11 January 2023
The DHSC has now announced its decision to extend the central, free provision of PPE to the health and care sector for protection against Covid, by up to one year to March 2024 or until stocks are depleted. This provision covers what the DHSC describe as ‘dental practice activities (including orthodontic activities)’.
The DHSC will continue to supply all categories of PPE according to Covid demand until the end of March 2023. From 1 April 2023, products will be supplied until stocks are depleted or until the end of March 2024. The DHSC have not provided any information on stock levels or when stock may be depleted.
The DHSC did not carry out a public consultation as they did on the last extension until March 2023, and state that the value of the free PPE scheme for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023 is around £471,385,725.53. The Association’s position remains that any government tax-payer funded assistance in this area should be complementary and not competing with existing commercial provision. The Association will be meeting with the DHSC to discuss this extension on 25th January.
