As part of the Australian Government's investment of a further $1.2 billion to prepare and protect senior Australians against COVID-19 and influenza this winter, the Australian Government is pre-positioning personal protective equipment (PPE) standard packs in all residential aged care services. This includes residential aged care facilities (RACFs), multi-purpose services (MPS), and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP) services.
PPE is a vital component of effective outbreak management and having both the right types and amount of stock on-hand, as well as a place to safely store it and access it quickly is crucial.
Residential aged care providers have a responsibility to carefully monitor their PPE supplies and take proactive steps to ensure they have sufficient PPE supplies on hand.
Providers should seek PPE from commercial suppliers in the first instance. After a facility has explored alternative supply options, they may request supply from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS).
Distribution of PPE packs is expected to commence on Monday, 11 April 2022 and be completed by mid-May 2022. Packs will be allocated based on the number of residents as reported through your My Aged Care data, and as detailed in the following table, noting quantities are approximate:
| Facility size (resident numbers) | Pack size | Surgical masks | N95 masks | Gloves | Gowns | Face shields and googles | Total number of pallets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 | Extra small |
1,800 |
4,100 |
15,600 |
2,900 |
4,100 |
5 |
|
31 to 50 |
Small |
2,200 |
4,900 |
15,800 |
3,700 |
4,100 |
6 |
|
51 to 70 |
Medium |
2,600 |
6,200 |
16,400 |
4,700 |
4,400 |
7 |
|
71 to 110 |
Large |
3,200 |
7,300 |
21,500 |
5,300 |
5,300 |
8 |
|
111 - 200+ |
Extra large |
4,000 |
9,000 |
24,800 |
6,700 |
6,500 |
10 |
All facilities will receive these packs automatically. If providers do not wish to receive this pack, please opt out via the Residential aged care Winter Preparedness PPE Pack - Opt Out online form by midnight local time Wednesday, 6 April 2022.
Packs will be delivered in tranches. From 8 April 2022, providers can check their delivery address and communications, as well as track delivery, through their COVID-19 Support Portal via the My Aged Care provider portal.