Question reference: S6W-00215
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 25 May 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS estates can reduce the viral load of COVID-19 in the ambient air of poorly ventilated spaces, and what plans it has to undertake widescale deployment of professional high-efficiency particulate air purifiers to reduce the risk of infection.
Answer
Scottish Healthcare Technical Memorandum (SHTM) 03-01 provides information relating to legal requirements, design implications, maintenance and operation of general and specialised ventilation in all types of healthcare premises. This has been supplemented with specific UK-wide guidance on ventilation and COVID-19, particularly for aerosol generating procedures. Patients should not be treated in poorly ventilated areas. There are currently no plans to implement the use of high-efficiency particulate air purifiers across the NHS estate.