PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Coronavirus: Ventilators (10 March 2020)

To ask the Secretary of Health and Social Care what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS Trusts have adequate financial resources to (a) purchase additional and (b) maintain ventilators; what plans he has to allocate additional funding to NHS Trusts should they require extra ventilator equipment in the event of an influx of patients with covid-19; and whether ventilators will be provided to at risk patients at home.

Asked by:
Sarah Owen (Labour)

The Chancellor has set out a £12 billion package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, individuals and businesses through the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.

We are scaling up intensive care beds. NHS England is looking at National Health Service organisations critical care capacity - including the availability of additional facilities of independent sector providers.

It is also making sure that they have as much ventilation equipment as possible and, crucially, the skilled and trained people to use it.

There are no plans to provide ventilators at home as this would not be viable.

Answered by:
Edward Argar (Conservative)
13 March 2020