RACF Outbreak and Exposure site - COVID-19 PPE support

Overview

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Who can access emergency Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the National Medical Stockpile?

If residential aged care services with a current COVID-19 exposure or outbreak have exhausted attempts to source Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from retail or commercial suppliers, they can request PPE from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS).

PPE - Residential aged care services

To request PPE go to the COVID-19 Support Portal via the My Aged Care (MAC) service provider portal. 

Depending on your outbreak status, a residential aged care service* can request a (1) standard outbreak PPE pack (14-day supply) or (2) an emergency PPE pack (3-day supply) with evidence of your attempts to source PPE from commercial and retail suppliers. This includes residential aged care facilities (RACFs), multi-purpose services (MPS) and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP) services.

For more information please refer to the Frequently asked questions – How to access and use the COVID-19 Support Portal | Australian Government Department of Health.

For assistance with My Aged Care and the COVID-19 Support Portal, please review the Quick Reference Guide and contact the My Aged Care Service Provider Helpline 1800 836 799.

What are the benefits of a portal PPE request?

The portal provides a more streamlined and efficient process for approved providers.

• PPE requests are made in the same place services need to report COVID-19 cases.
• The amount of PPE available to a facility will be precalculated during a request.
• Services can update their delivery address prior to submitting their request.
• Services can monitor request updates at any time, including track and trace links.
• Services can easily communicate with the Department if they need to cancel a delivery (exceptional circumstances) or if a product is damaged through delivery or faulty.
• Any service staff with accounts can submit and view a PPE request.

RAT deployment

The Australian Government has moved to a regular weekly forward deployment of RAT kits through the National Medical Stockpile (NMS). Residential aged care facilities do not need to place an order; outbreak sites are prioritised.  The allocation for each facility is calculated based on the number of residents and staff that services report in the My Aged Care portal for vaccine reporting. 

Where else can I find PPE?

The Therapeutic Goods Administration have a list of PPE suppliers.
The Department of Health have more information about PPE for the health workforce.