Aged Care PPE Request

Overview

Emergency PPE supply from the National Medical Stockpile

The Australian Government is prioritising Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) distribution from the National Medical Stockpile to aged care services that are most in need. The National Medical Stockpile is not intended to be a general supply line for PPE, it is for emergency purposes. The deployment of PPE is only where commercial supply is unavailable and there is a demonstrated need or clinical advice requiring its use. Aged care providers are asked to use their own supply of PPE first and to request extra supply as and when needed.

Residential and in home aged care services across Australia who are in a priority category can request surgical masks and P2/N95 respirator masks from the National Medical Stockpile. Requests for other PPE, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and prioritised where there is an outbreak in a residential aged care facility.

Australian Government or State and Territory Government guidance regarding advised or mandatory PPE requirements will be considered through this application.

Please complete this application for your request to be considered. You may choose to start an application, to step you through key considerations. You do not need to complete or submit the application if you do not want to proceed

Eligibility criteria and types of PPE

All PPE requests are assessed by the Department of Health in order of urgency and need.

A priority category is an aged care service who:

• cannot access PPE through commercial suppliers, and
• the Australian Government or State or Territory Government requires workers to wear PPE in relation to a community transmission region, or
• they deliver personal care or other activities that require close physical contact, where:
  • there is an outbreak or suspected case of COVID-19 or another notifiable infectious respiratory disease, or
  • there is an immediate threat to the continuity of safe quality care due to a lack of access to PPE supplies.

You may choose NOT to submit an application if:

• You are NOT in a priority category.
• You are seeking PPE that is NOT a requirement according to Australian Government or State or Territory Government advice.

Application Assessment and Response

After you have submitted this application, you will receive further contact in order of request urgency from a Department of Health officer. We need important information to consider your request, including evidence of you seeking PPE from commercial suppliers.

If you haven’t heard from a Departmental officer within 48 hours after submission of this application, and the urgency of your request has changed, please email AgedCareCOVIDPPE@health.gov.au

Please continue to try to source the PPE through commercial suppliers while awaiting a response. Providers need to establish an ongoing general PPE supply. The Therapeutic Goods Administration have a list of PPE suppliers. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources has a guide including links to national, state and territory portals which connect buyers and sellers of PPE.

You can read more about PPE needs and prioritisation on the Department of Health website.

Refer to your State or Territory Government website for recent COVID-19 updates relevant to your State or Territory.