Ensuring the quality and quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) by enhancing the procurement process in Northern Ireland during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Challenges in the procurement process for PPE in NI

Abstract

This article outlines the purchasing process for personal protective equipment that was established for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland in response to the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019. The Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service, who are the sole provider of goods and services for Health and Social Care organisations, was faced with an unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The usual procurement process was further complicated by changing messages within guidelines which resulted in confusion and anxiety when determining whether or not a product would meet the required safety guidance and was therefore suitable for purchase. In order to address these issues in a rapidly changing and escalating scenario the Department of Health asked the Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service to work with the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre to maximise the availability of personal protective equipment whilst ensuring that it met all requisite quality and standards. A process was implemented whereby the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre validated all pertinent essential documentation relating to products to ensure that all applicable standards were met, with the Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service completing all procurement due diligence tasks in line with both normal and coronavirus disease 2019 emergency derogations. It is evident from the data presented that whilst there were a significant number of potential options for supply, a large proportion of these were rejected due to failure to meet the quality assurance criteria. Thus, by the process that was put in place, a large number of unsuitable products were not purchased and only those that met extant standards were approved.

Keywords

Product liability organisational learning risk management support for clinical staff

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Zhu

Zhang

Wang

, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020; 382:727–733. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2001017

Mackenzie

Smith

. COVID-19: a novel zoonotic disease caused by a coronavirus from China: what we know and what we don’t. Microbiology Australia 2020; 41(1):45–50. https://doi.org/10.1071/MA20013

World Health Organization. WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19–11 march 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-Covid-19–11-march-2020 (Last accessed 14/05/20)

Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. Coronavirus resource center. Available at: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html (Last accessed 13/05/20)

Sahu

Mishra

Martin

, et al. COVID-19 and clinical mimics. Correct diagnosis is the key to appropriate therapy. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 2020; 90(2):246-247. https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2020.1327

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European parliament and of the council of 9 march 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing council directive 89/686/EEC. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/425/oj (Last accessed 14/05/20)

HM Government. Medical devices regulations 2002. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/618/contents/made (Last accessed 15/05/20)

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Guidance on legislation. Borderlines with medical devices. May 2016. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/521458/Borderlines_with_medical_devices.pdf (Last accessed 14/05/20).

HM Government. COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) updated 3 May 2020. Guidance for Infection prevention and control in healthcare settings 2020 Issued jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health Wales (PHW), Public Health Agency (PHA) Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and Public Health England as official guidance. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/Covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe (Last accessed 14/05/20)

10.

World Health Organization. Infection prevention and control during health care when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected: interim guidance, 25 January 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/infection-prevention-and-control-during-health-care-when-novel-coronavirus-(ncov)-infection-is-suspected-20200125 (Last accessed 14/05/20)

11.

Australian Government Department of Health. Guidance on use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak. Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/04/guidance-on-the-use-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-in-hospitals-during-the-Covid-19-outbreak.pdf (Last accessed 14/05/20)

12.

O’Sullivan E

. PPE guidance for COVID-19: be honest about resource shortages. Br Med J 2020; 369:m1507. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1507

13.

Health and Safety Executive. Rapid evidence review. Available at https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/assets/docs/face-mask-equivalence-aprons-gown-eye-protection.pdf (Last accessed 15/05/20)

14.

Dyer

. COVID-19: doctors are warned not to go public about PPE shortages. Br Med J 2020; 369:m1592. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1592

15.

Godlee

. Protect our healthcare workers. Editor’s choice. Br Med J 2020; 369:m1324. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1324

16.

Kamerow

. COVID-19: the crisis of personal protective equipment in the US. Br Med J 2020; 369:m1367. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1367

17.

Office for Product Safety & Standards. New high-volume manufacturers of COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance for businesses, version 3. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882945/Guidance-for-businesses-high-volume-manufacture-of-ppe-version-3.pdf (Last accessed 14/05/20)

18.

HM Government. New high-volume manufacturers of covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical device PPE essential technical requirements for gowns, gloves, masks, respirators, eye protection and coveralls where no CE mark has been obtained or where an alternative use is proposed of an existing CE marked product. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883334/Essential_Technical_Specifications__5_.pdf(Last accessed 14/05/20)