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Peracetic Acid

Volume 490: debated on Friday 27 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated research on the effectiveness of anti-microbial infection control products which generate peracetic acid; and if he will make a statement; (266772)

(2) what proportion of primary care trusts use products which generate peracetic acid to control healthcare-acquired infections.

The Department has not commissioned research on the effectiveness of anti-microbial infection control products that generate peracetic acid.

The Department’s Rapid Review Panel has reviewed a peracetic acid generating wipe and awarded it a recommendation 3. This means that the product is a potentially useful new concept but insufficiently validated; more research and development is required before it is ready for evaluation in practice.

The Department does not collect the information requested centrally. National health service bodies are free to choose which products to purchase and will maintain their own records.