Friday 25 September 2026
Internal Reference Number: FOI_9451
Date Request Received: 10/06/2026 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 02/07/2026 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Supply issues
Request Category: Private Individuals
| Question Number 1: Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information relating to the following - The supply and availability of wound care consumables within your Trust, specifically swabs (sterile and non-sterile), cotton wool, bandages (including tubular and elasticated varieties), and non-woven balls and swabs. The supply and availability of bone cement within your Trust. The supply disruption affecting surgical sutures. The supply issues affecting laparoscopic instruments. The supply and availability of surgical stapling products used across your Trust Current Stock and Usage • What is the current stock level of swabs, cotton wool, and bandages held by your Trust? Please break it down by product category where possible (e.g. sterile gauze swabs, non-sterile gauze swabs, x-ray detectable swabs, tubular bandages, non-woven products). • What is your Trust's monthly usage or consumption of the above products by volume since May 2025 to present? • What is the current stock level of bone cement held by your Trust? • What is the monthly usage of bone cement across your Trust's surgical theatres since May 2025 to present? • What is the current stock level of surgical sutures held by your Trust? • What is your Trust's monthly usage or consumption of this product (by volume and unit) since May 2025 to present? • What is the current stock level of laparoscopic instruments held by your Trust (please break down by instrument type where possible, e.g. trocars, graspers, dissectors, clip appliers)? • What is your Trust's monthly usage of laparoscopic instruments since May 2025 to present? • What is the current stock level of surgical stapling products held by your Trust? Please break down by product type where possible (e.g. linear staplers, circular staplers, reloads/cartridges, skin staplers). • What is your Trust's monthly usage or consumption of surgical stapling products by volume since May 2025 to present? | |
| Answer To Question 1: See attached To accompany this answer to question 1 please also see the documents listed below:  FOI 9451 Q1.xlsx | |
| Question Number 2: Supply Disruption Impact • Has the supply disruption from any of these products resulted in any procedures being delayed, cancelled, or modified? If yes, please provide the number of affected procedures by month from January 2023 to the present. • Has your Trust raised any formal incident reports internally or with NHS England/NHS Supply Chain as a result of this supply issue? If yes, how many in the past 12 months? | |
| Answer To Question 2: • Has your Trust raised any formal incident reports internally or with NHS England/NHS Supply Chain as a result of this supply issue? If yes, how many in the past 12 months? - None | |
| Question Number 3: Stockpiling and Contingency • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for swabs (sterile and non-sterile), cotton wool, bandages (including tubular and elasticated varieties), and non-woven balls and swabs? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for bone cement? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. • Has your Trust increased stock levels of bone cement as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for surgical sutures? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for laparoscopic instruments? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for surgical stapling products? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? | |
| Answer To Question 3: • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for swabs (sterile and non-sterile), cotton wool, bandages (including tubular and elasticated varieties), and non-woven balls and swabs? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. No. Our Max Levels already include a stock level that allows for a level of supply disruption. Alternatives are found during any longer term disruption • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? No, same as above • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? N/A • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for bone cement? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. Yes. Minimum Level is 60, Max Level is 80 • Has your Trust increased stock levels of bone cement as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? Yes • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? 40 • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for surgical sutures? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. No. Same as previous answers • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? No • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? N/A • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for laparoscopic instruments? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. NO. Same as previous answers • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? No. • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? N/A • Does your Trust hold a formal contingency or safety stock policy for surgical stapling products? If yes, please provide the minimum stock threshold. No. Same as previous answers • Has your Trust increased stock levels of surgical sutures as a precautionary measure in the past 12 months? NO • If yes, by how many units did you increase stock levels? N/A | |
| Please see Attachments: | |
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