As we approach the Winter Season, the Australian Government has distributed PPE to all Aged Care Facilities across Australia. The Winter Preparedness Pack is designed to ensure facilities have a buffer supply to draw on in the case of an emergency outbreak situation.
But, as stated in a recent Department of Health Webinar, providers should not regard the National Medical Stockpile as a commercial supply source.
“The national medical stockpile is not a commercial supplier and providers are still responsible for ensuring that they’ve got sufficient resourcing on hand to support in an outbreak.”
~ Helen Grinbergs, Department of Health – Preparing your Aged Care Service for Winter-Readiness
While the stock from the national medical stockpile is welcome news, clinical staff and IPC Leads who are preparing for the winter season are asking: How long can I expect my stockpile to last?
There is no straightforward answer, given that this depends very much on three factors, all of which are subject to change:
- Resident numbers,
- Staffing ratios, and
- Clinical policy directing PPE practices.
The PPE Burn Rate Calculator Tool
However, outbreak PPE stock planning is important to ensure facility management understand the effect of these factors on PPE burn rates.
To help with this, our team created a calculator tool that can assist in forecasting PPE burn rates for various scenarios. The tool is not conclusive and should always be used in conjunction with clinical advice.
Click below or here to access the PPE Burn Rate Calculator Tool:
