NHS staff in 'impossible position' as boss orders coveralls amid lack of protective gowns

An MP has said NHS frontline workers are “being put in [an] impossible position” as it was revealed a Yorkshire hospital trust had ordered 6,000 coveralls amid a shortage of protection equipment.

Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Martin Barkley previously warned there was “major concern” over running out of personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically gowns, at the sites the trust covers.

And Mr Barkley has now confirmed the trust had ordered coveralls to replace long-sleeved gowns, which were still lacking.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It comes as organisations representing hospital trusts have rounded on the Government over its promise of more PPE to protect workers in the fight against Covid-19.

Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHs Trust, Martin Barkley. Photo: JPI MediaChief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHs Trust, Martin Barkley. Photo: JPI Media
Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHs Trust, Martin Barkley. Photo: JPI Media

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said there was “relatively low confidence” that a shipment of 400,000 surgical gowns which had been due to arrive in the UK from Turkey on Sunday would make its way into the country on Monday.

He said trusts are being forced into “hand-to-mouth” workarounds, including washing single-use gowns and restricting stocks to key areas.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman today admitted getting gowns to workers was an issue.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: "There is significant global demand for PPE items, deliveries of gowns in particular are pressured at the moment."

He said Government was working "round the clock" to get PPE to the frontline, but added: "There is a particular issue with gowns."

He said the Government was working with manufacturers around the UK the produce more,

Mr Barkley said staff had taken “every action possible to both conserve our stocks and to secure further deliveries”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But he said: “One of those actions has been to purchase 6,000 two-piece coveralls, which are fluid repellent and therefore in line with Public Health England guidance.

“We fully recognise these coveralls are not ideal; they are more uncomfortable for staff and are more laborious to take on and off.

“However our first priority is to keep our staff safe, and these coveralls will do so in the absence of certainty about the next delivery of long-sleeved gowns.”

Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford Labour MP Yvette Cooper said: “For weeks we have been warning the Government of a serious shortage of gowns at Mid Yorkshire Trust and other Yorkshire hospitals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“For weeks NHS staff have been warning of dangerous shortages of PPE and especially the long gowns they need for intensive care. Now they are being forced to take emergency measures using these coveralls instead and it is completely unfair and distressing that the staff and hospital are being put in this impossible position.”

Ms Cooper said she was assured the issues were strictly with distribution some two weeks ago, but she said: “We’re over a month into this crisis, we should not be asking our health heroes to put themselves at risk.”

She added: “When our heroic medical staff are battling this virus on the frontline, the least they can expect is the protection they need to do it safely.”

The NHS is thought to use around 150,000 gowns a day, meaning the stock from Turkey would last less than three days.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he was hopeful the gowns would still arrive, telling BBC One’s Breakfast programme: “We are very hopeful that later today that flight will take off and we will get those gowns.

“We are working very hard to resolve this, there have been challenges at the Turkish end.

“I don’t want to start making more and more promises but I understand that that flight will take off this afternoon and they will be delivered.”

Another 25 million gowns from China had been procured and the UK would be “getting those shortly as well”, he said.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.