Which? calls for controls to stop profiteering
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.
He said the UK pressures sit within a “huge international demand” for PPE and a “global squeeze” on supply.
The Government is publishing a PPE plan which has three strands, one of which is distribution.
It comes as the BMA medical union warned that PPE supplies in London and Yorkshire are at “dangerously low levels”.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said doctors are being forced into a corner and facing “heart-breaking decisions” over whether to carry on without proper protection.
He said: “This is an immensely difficult position to be in, but is ultimately down to the Government’s chronic failure to supply us with the proper equipment.”
THE Government should place price controls on essential items being sold online to stop profiteering during the coronavirus pandemic, consumer group Which? has said.
It comes after the group said it had found more evidence of items such as handwash, cleaning products and baby formula for sale online at greatly inflated prices. Last month, Which?
Noting the Government’s threestrand plan, he said: “PPE should not be a ‘precious resource’ and for NHS staff facing shortages of protection they need today, they don’t want to hear of a plan, but that this vital equipment is made available to the frontline now.”
Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething said: “I welcome this new strategy to ensure we are able to get the right PPE to frontline health and social care workers.
“It makes sense the four UK nations work together on procurement of PPE rather than compete against each other.
“In Wales, we are already working with businesses to manufacture more PPE. I have been overwhelmed by the swift and generous response from companies to help.
“We have been working hard to get PPE to frontline health and social care and regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) urged more action to be taken to stop the practice.
However, Which? said it has found hundreds more cases on platforms such as Amazon and eBay.
Despite many listings being removed by both firms, the consumer group said it had found new listings, including bottles of Carex handwash staff – so far we have distributed more than eight million extra pieces of PPE from our pandemic stocks, over and above the usual supplies, which are held by the NHS.
“We are also working with military planners to refine our distribution plans in Wales.
“New guidance on PPE has been developed for health and social care staff – it is really important this is followed and PPE is used in line with the guidance.
“Every piece of PPE kit used unnecessarily is a piece of kit which will not be available to a member of staff at risk.
“Frontline NHS and social care staff are working hard, in difficult circumstances, to care for people with coronavirus. It is vital they can do their jobs safely and with confidence. We must make sure they have the equipment to do that.” priced at £40 and Dettol cleaner priced at £59.99. Researchers for Which? also said they found what appeared to be listings which had been removed by Amazon back on the site with inflated prices.
Which? said it was now time for the Government to step in with emergency legislation to cap prices on essential products.