UK Government ‘pursuing every possible option’ to secure enough PPE

THE Government is pursuing “every possible option” to secure personal protective equipment (PPE) for the front line, Chancellor Rishi Sunk has said, as he suggested Covid-19 lockdown restrictions would not be lifted any time soon.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the first of three expected RAF transport aircraft had finally left for Turkey yesterday to collect a consignment of 400,000 gowns which had been expected at the weekend.

Mr Sunak said, however, that 140,000 gowns had arrived from

Mynamar as ministers strained “everything” to get supplies.

It comes as hospitals sought other ways of obtaining PPE, with the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust buying 6,000 sets of coveralls due to a very low stock of gowns, though it admitted this was “not ideal”.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, has said trusts are being forced into “hand-to-mouth” workarounds, including washing single-use gowns and restricting stocks to key areas.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that it was wrong to focus on individual consignments of PPE because “bitter experience over the last few weeks” has shown they cannot be relied upon, with some boxes containing the wrong items and thousands of pieces missing.

“Let’s not focus on individual consignments, let’s try and get as quickly as possible to a sustainable supply of these gowns. There’s no doubt that at the moment, we have now got trusts that have definitely got shortages of gowns,” said Mr Hopson.

And palliative care doctor Rachel

Clarke said NHS workers and those in social care are being told to wear “a skimpy, plastic pinny”.

Mr Sunak told reporters at the Number 10 press briefing that work was ongoing to find more PPE.

He said: “We’re improving our sourcing internationally and domestically to make sure we can get the PPE we need in what is a very challenging international context.

“But people on the frontline can rest assured that we’re doing absolutely everything we can and straining everything we can to get the equip

ment they need.”

Asked about exiting the lockdown, Mr Sunak said the UK needed to meet five tests set down last week, which include increasing testing in the community.

“We are not there yet and it is very clear that, for now, what we should focus on is following the guidance, staying home to protect the NHS,” he added. “Anything else that people might be speculating on is wrong, we are crystal clear on that message.”

Asked whether PPE guidance had been downgraded based on availability of equipment rather than safety standards, Public Health England’s medical director Professor Yvonne Doyle said: “The guidance remains exactly the same. What has happened over the weekend is to cover people really and give them some security in exceptional circumstances, advice has been produced jointly with the NHS about how to be safe in circumstances where supplies may be at risk.

“And that is a very precautionary set of advice - it’s quite the opposite to putting people at risk because there aren’t enough supplies.”

Prof Doyle admitted the PPE situation was “concerning” but said 12 million pieces had been delivered to 141 trusts over the weekend.

Pressed on whether she would back staff who decided not to work if they felt PPE was inadequate, Prof Doyle said: “Certainly people have to make their decisions based on whether they are in a risky situation or not.

“It is very difficult to legislate for all of that from a distance here. But the guidance is very clear on what is safe and not safe to do.”