NHS bosses are under pressure today after military staff attacked the health service for the way it has been distributing vital PPE equipment during the coronavirus crisis.
Military personnel accused the NHS of ‘appalling’ handling of the issue with the army apparently pushing to be given a more prominent role in making sure the kit gets to where it needs to go.
They claimed NHS logistics were ‘knackered’ and questioned why certain key items were not being rationed.
It came as an RAF plane carrying a PPE shipment from Turkey finally arrived back in the UK in the early hours of this morning.
Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A400-M registered ZM416 depart Istanbul and land just after 3.30am at RAF Brize Norton.
The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey, late on Monday.
It is not yet known if the consignment, which was ordered last Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns.
There is growing fury over PPE shortages amid claims the government has been slow on taking up offers of help from British businesses as millions of items continue to be shipped out of the UK despite domestic need.
Labour today claimed it had been told by dozens of UK companies that offers of help on PPE had been ignored by ministers.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is under pressure after military personnel labelled the current NHS distribution of PPE ‘appalling’
An RAF cargo plane arrived back from Turkey at RAF Brize Norton this morning with a cargo of PPE equipment
The supply of gowns has emerged as one of the key issues of the current crisis with the government scrambling to source as many as possible from all over the world.
But today ministers faced claims that they have been slow to talk to domestic manufacturers who have offered to supply items or to convert their production lines to make the equipment.
Military planners who are experts in logistics were sent out to different parts of the country by the Ministry of Defence in the early stages of the outbreak to help ensure vital supplies were appropriately and swiftly allocated.
But military sources have suggested that the NHS distribution network has seen PPE being sent to hospitals without fully taking into account need.
That has meant some hospitals have ended up with more than they need while others have been left with a shortage.
A senior army source told The Times: ‘We know how knackered their [NHS logistics] systems are, but we’ve been surprised we’ve not been called in to help more, and we’ve been surprised by their failure to ration [kit].’
Military commanders are thought to be frustrated that the so-called Covid Support Force which can call on 10,000 personnel and has disaster response planning expertise has not been put in charge of PPE distribution.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘The MoD understands just how challenging logistics can be, especially under current pressures.
‘Of course there may be frictions at a local level, but those same armed forces are doing everything possible to support their health colleagues. The MoD has full confidence in the NHS.’
The arrival of the RAF plane back from Turkey will be a welcome piece of news for ministers as they struggle to boost supply of PPE.
But they are facing domestic criticism after manufacturers suggested conversations with Whitehall about ramping up production and supply of items like gowns in the UK only started in the last two weeks.
Adam Mansell, head of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, said: ‘We have started probably four weeks later than we should have.’
Reports overnight suggested the government missed out on 16 million face masks for the NHS after offers from two major firms were ignored.
The Guardian reported that infectious disease specialists Landcent said they could have delivered six million FFP2 masks for the NHS to use if the government had placed an order three weeks ago.
Volker Schuster, who owns Merseyside-based chemicals company EcoLogix, also claims he wrote to the Cabinet Office’s ‘COVID commercial response unit’ to offer a shipment of 10 milllion FFP2 masks from China.
The firm said it only got a response eight days later – by which time the items had been sold to other countries.
Mr Schuster’s local MP, Labour’s Bill Esterson, confirmed he had contacted Health Secretary Matt Hancock to highlight the offer on March 27 but that he had never received a reply.
Labour today said it had been contacted by 36 British companies which had ‘not received a reply’ from the government after submitting offers to supply things like face guards, aprons and gowns.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said in a letter to her counterpart in government Michael Gove: ‘You and your officials and those at the Department for Health and Social Care will be best placed to validate what capability and capacity these firms have, but as they have not received a reply after contacting the government, I wanted to ensure that the Cabinet Office was aware of them.
‘Of these firms, if just one, five or 10 were able to contribute to the national effort of ensuring that our NHS and care workers – and indeed anybody who needs to use some form of Personal Protective Equipment and clothing – could be better protected, or just one hospital or care home were able to access adequate supplies of the PPE they need, I know you will agree that that would go a long way and make a big difference.’
Mr Hancock announced yesterday at the daily Downing Street press conference that 8,331 companies had come forward with offers of PPE – some of which had led to ‘very large-scale’ purchases.
‘I am very grateful to all of those who have come forward and we are now actively engaged with hundreds of these companies,’ he said.
‘I can announce that we are working with 159 potential UK manufacturers which are starting to come on stream.’
Mr Hancock said the government needed to carefully consider all of the offers made to make sure firms can actually deliver on what they have promised.
The Atlas A400 is spotted approaching the runway early this morning. It is only carrying up to half the promised 84 tonnes of life-saving equipment
The RAF transport plane being loaded with vital PPE equipment in Turkey which is destined for frontline healthcare workers in the UK
‘We have had some offers, for instance, that have come from companies where, upon investigation, the company has only just been formed in the previous day or two before coming and asking for a cash deal with the government,’ he said.
The RAF plane carrying supplies from Turkey is believed to only have been stocked with up to half of the promised 84 tonnes of life-saving equipment ordered from Istanbul.
The delay in the arrival of the cargo had been blamed by the UK government on problems in Turkey.
But Turkish officials hit back and said there had been no hold up on their end, claiming ministers had only requested help with the shipment on Sunday.
The government is insistent that it is pursuing ‘every possible option’ to secure additional kit but unprecedented worldwide demand means the situation is ‘very challenging’.