FOI220518: Covid 19 – Cost of providing disposable facemasks to visitors and staff

Released 28 October 2022

Request:

1. How much does the supplying of disposable face masks by the hospital trust cost per month?
   This includes those handed out to visitors and those worn by staff of all kinds, including office staff, porters and nurses.
2. Please supply the Hospital trust’s risk assessment demonstrating that the use of face masks should remain compulsory at their Hospitals.
   
   If the risk assessment relies on Peer reviewed papers, please also reveal the name of the reviews and the source.

Information disclosed:

1. We have interpreted your request to be about the monthly cost of disposable face masks which the Trust provides to staff, patients and visitors.
   
   The answer to this question is £0.00 (nil). The Trust receives disposable facemasks, free of charge, from the NHS central distribution centre.
2. The Trust does not hold a formal Risk Assessment in the context of your request, therefore such information is not available under the terms of the FOIA. 
3. The use of face masks is regularly reviewed by the Trust’s Clinical Advisory Group, which considers guidance shared locally by the Sussex Integrated Care System (ICS), guidance from NHS England and the Health and Safety Executive’s current Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSSH) guidelines where appropriate.