No face masks for home carers

Care workers who work with elderly, sick and vulnerable people all over the country won’t be supplied with face masks.

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield told Radio NZ yesterday morning the Ministry of Health was ‘‘definitely committed to ensuring every frontline health worker that needs PPE – masks and other things like gloves – have got access to them’’.

But at his afternoon media conference he clarified this to say that not everyone in contact with someone in a healthcare setting needed PPE, and that community care workers – including those at aged residential care, age-related community care, disability, hospice and home care – should follow ministry guidelines.

The guidelines state that unless a patient has coronavirus, the carer only needs to wear the protective gear they would usually be required to wear: gloves and an apron.

Over the past week and other media have been contacted by home support carers, and their clients and families, concerned the workers were not receiving adequate protective gear.

The concerns have been raised from all corners of the country and involve workers from numerous companies contracted to district health boards or the Ministry of Health to provide inhome support.

Last week Georgina Morrison told she was stunned to learn from her Hastings-based aunt that the care workers who visited her at home up to three times a day were not wearing protective equipment such as face masks and gloves.

‘‘I was just reaching out to see if she was OK and help her set up online banking and so on.

‘‘I told her it was important noone came into her house. She said she still had carers coming in and she was really worried because they were not wearing masks and gloves,’’ Morrison said.

Unions representing the workers are calling on the ministry and DHBs to provide face masks to the home care workers.

E tu¯ director Kirsty McCully said providers with PPE, including masks, ‘‘must urgently pass them on to the support workers they employ’’.

‘‘Unless something is done fast, this could become a public health disaster – clients are beginning to cancel their care, and ultimately if they become unwell they will end up in hospital at a time when our health system must be prioritised for those requiring Covid-19 and other urgent treatment,’’ McCully said.

National secretary of the Public Service Association Kerry Davies said members wanted the ability to do their jobs without getting sick or infecting others.