Matt Hancock tonight told NHS medics to only use the protective equipment they need because it is a ‘precious resource’
Health Secretary Matt Hancock tonight told NHS medics to only use the protective equipment they need because it is a ‘precious resource’.
Addressing the nationwide shortage that has left nurses ‘petrified’ to fight the crisis, he claimed: ‘There is enough PPE to go around.’
But he added that the supply of masks, aprons and gloves would only stretch across the UK’s healthcare workforce if it is ‘used in line with our guidance’.
Guidelines now say medics no longer need to change PPE between patients, instead wearing the same gear for longer spells – called ‘sessions’.
In tonight’s Downing Street conference, Mr Hancock admitted Number 10 was struggling to source additional PPE to help NHS workers fight Britain’s spiralling crisis, which has killed almost 9,000 Britons.
He admitted there was a ‘huge international demand’ for gloves, masks and aprons and warned of a global squeeze in supply.
It comes three weeks after the Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised there was a ‘massive effort to ensure we have adequate supply of PPE equipment’.
The PM – currently in hospital with COVID-19 – also told MPs: ‘We have stockpiles of PPE equipment.’
In response to Number 10’s promise to address the shortage, furious Brits today asked: ‘When will the Government step up?’
Nursing bodies today said they were still being inundated by scared staff who can’t get hold of any PPE and have seen colleagues die already.
The British Medical Association warned last month that NHS medics fighting COVID-19 on the frontline would die without adequate protection.
Three nurses who were pictured wearing bin bags because of a lack of protective gear tested positive for coronavirus, it was revealed earlier this week.
Mr Hancock, who outlined a three-point plan to tackle the shortage, said his goal was for ‘everyone’ working in a critical role to get what they need.
Three nurses from Northwick Park hospital in London who posed last month while wearing protective equipment made from bin bags have been diagnosed with Covid 19
But he acknowledged distributing masks, gloves, aprons and even hand sanitiser to frontline workers is requiring a ‘Herculean logistical effort’.
Mr Hancock also warned against the use of PPE outside of the NHS, urging Britons to stay at home and save lives.
He said: ‘A front door is better than any face mask. There’s enough PPE to go around, but only if it’s used in line with our guidance.
‘We need everyone to treat PPE like the precious resource that it is. That means only using it when there’s a clinical need, and not using more than is needed.’
Public Health England’s rules do not clarify how long a session is but says it will ‘vary depending on the clinical activity being undertaken’.
For example, it could be defined as a ward round – which take place twice a day and involve medics assessing each patient needing care.
Usual guidelines from the Royal College of Nursing – a union for 450,000 nurses – say aprons and gloves should ‘always be changed’ between patients.
Other NHS hospital trusts say face masks should also be ‘changed immediately’ after each patient and disposed of correctly to avoid the spread of germs.
Mr Hancock claimed that more than 742million pieces of PPE have been delivered to hospitals, ambulance trusts, GPs and pharmacies so far during the outbreak.
This includes 161million masks, 127million aprons, and 345million pairs of gloves, as well as 1million gowns.
Some items can be used for a whole session and do not need to be changed each time they finish treating an individual patient, he added.
Mr Hancock added: ‘This is a Herculean logistical effort. We’ve brought together the NHS, private industry and the Army, in fact, the armed forces, to create a giant PPE distribution network on an unprecedented scale.’
In order to ensure sufficient future supply, he is urging companies which can do so to ‘step up to the plate’ and help with manufacturing.
Susan Masters, director of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, said: ‘These figures on deliveries are only impressive when nursing staff stop contacting me to say what they need to use wasn’t available.
‘The calls are still coming through – people are petrified. They have seen colleagues die already.
‘Things have improved in recent days and I credit the Government with that. But the safety of nurses and care staff must not be compromised.
‘They’re pretty clear about what they need to do to stay safe and they’ll be angered by any suggestion they cause shortages by misusing kit.’
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: ‘This isn’t the first time ministers have given NHS and social care staff big promises on PPE.
‘There has been a mismatch between statements at Downing St press conferences and the realities facing health and care staff on the ground.
‘Staff have been raising the alarm over lack of PPE for weeks. We hope the plans today deliver the adequate supplies of PPE our brave health care staff deserve.’