24
Mar 2020
NHS staff ‘at risk’ over shortage of protective gear
NHS staff say they are being put at risk during the coronavirus epidemic due to a lack of personal protective gear, and have also expressed concerns that not enough of them are being tested for the virus.
Although Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK had “stockpiles” of personal protective equipment (PPE), Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden from lobbying group the Doctors’ Association, said that she had spoken with doctors who had either not had access to PPE, or it had run out or expired.
“All these doctors are worried that that’s increased their likelihood of contracting the virus and then ultimately spreading it to patients.”
When asked about the shortage of PPE during Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson said “There is a massive effort going on, comparable to the effort to build enough ventilators, to ensure that we have adequate supplies of PPE equipment not just now, but throughout the outbreak.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said it has “well-established procedures to deal with supply issues, should they arise.”
Speaking of the concerns over testing, on Wednesday Mr Johnson announced that the UK would be increasing the number of daily tests from 10,000 to 25,000 and was “prioritising testing” for NHS staff.
However, the British Medical Association responded to this by saying that his claim was not reflected by “the experiences of our members at the frontline of the health service and is something we are pushing to be resolved as a matter of urgency.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Freephone : 0800 304 738
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