Ysbyty Gwynedd doctor slams lack of protective equipment
N.WALES A&E DOCTOR HITS OUT ON TV... AND ALSO REVEALS LACK OF VENTILATORS
AFRONT-LINE North Wales A&E doctor has appeared on TV slamming the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) getting through to medics in the UK.
Dr Saleyha Ahsan, who works as a journalist and A&E doctor at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, said she “still cannot understand” why doctors and nurses are not getting enough of the (PPE) they need to keep themselves safe in the coronavirus crisis.
Health bosses have said there is enough equipment for medics.
But speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Dr Ahsan said she did not accept excuses about a lack of global supply to explain why staff were not getting the equipment.
Medics across the UK have complained about a lack of much-needed PPE in the fight against the virus.
However, ministers say they are providing enough equipment to doctors and nurses.
On Monday morning, Dr Ahsan, who has worked as a humanitarian doctor in conflict zones, said: “We need time. We need people to observe the Government guidelines to stay at home so we can catch up with essential PPE, which I still can’t understand why we don’t have in parts of the UK.
“None of the reasons that I have been told add up. Supply and distribution doesn’t work for me.”
Speaking about the situation across the UK, she added: “Ventilators – we don’t have enough. We are currently trying to get enough. We have got incredible people working around the clock to create a vaccine.
“We need that time, so if people are selfishly flouting government rules and advice, you are actually working against the NHS.”
Dr Ahsan has not been working at Ysbyty Gwynedd since the coronavirus pandemic began and is due to return to duty in April. She has, however, been speaking to doctors and health staff across the UK, mainly in London and England.
Speaking after her interview aired, she said: “The situation in North Wales is actually quite good.
“I’ve been speaking to staff and I know the health board have been working really hard to get the equipment through and, thankfully, we’ve had the chance to prepare.”
Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Monday, Wales’ chief medical officer Dr Frank Atherton said: “We do have enough PPE here in Wales. There have been a lot of distribution issues. The reality is there is a global [need] for PPE and everyone is trying to get hold of it.”
He said there was enough equipment in Wales as long as staff only used the equipment when it was necessary to do so.
He added: “There’s enough PPE for the current demand in Wales.
“There are some distribution issues but there is PPE available. It is important for people to understand what PPE they need.”
Dr Atherton said they acknowledged they needed to improve communication with staff so they all know which types of equipment they need to use in different scenarios.
Last week, Dr Atherton said more than 3.4m items of PPE had been issued to frontline health and social care workers in Wales from pandemic flu reserves, in addition to normal supplies.
At the time of the announcement, he said: “The current UK guidance is clear: PPE should be used when dealing with people who have or are suspected to have Covid19. The current guidelines about what PPE is needed differs by setting and procedure. It is essential those who need PPE have access to it but we should not use it unnecessarily in order to avoid wastage and to ensure we have sufficient stocks as the coronavirus pandemic progresses.
“For many critical workers, including staff in some healthcare settings – those who are not dealing directly with people with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 – standard good practice, which includes thorough hand-washing and social distancing will protect people from the spread of the virus.”