- To date, over 761 million pieces of PPE delivered across the UK
- Full, 24/7 military operation underway to manage supply and demand right across the UK
- New domestic PPE manufacturing effort with Rolls Royce and McLaren to make more protective equipment
- Website launching to enable primary, social, and community care providers to request critical PPE
A UK-wide plan to ensure that critical personal protective equipment (PPE) is delivered to those on the frontline responding to coronavirus (COVID-19) was announced yesterday by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock.
The 3-strand plan launched on Friday will provide clear guidance on who needs PPE and when they need it, ensure those who need it can get it at the right time and set out action to secure enough PPE to last through the crisis.
A full, 24/7 military operation is already underway to deal with the unprecedented, global demand for PPE as a result of this pandemic.
A new national supply and logistics network has been created from scratch in a matter of weeks to manage supply and demand across the UK, and to make sure appropriate PPE reaches those who need it.
A new website, developed with the help of the military, is being rolled out in the coming weeks to improve distribution and will enable primary, social and community care providers in England to order critical PPE.
In addition, a new PPE hub provides easy access to all the government’s guidance on PPE in one place – a one-stop shop people can visit to understand what PPE they need.
This is in addition to a 24-hour helpline that already allows providers to request emergency drops of PPE to meet immediate need.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I will stop at nothing to protect those on the frontline who are fighting this virus.
“Our heroic health and care staff are working around the clock and my absolute priority is to support them. Our new online ordering tool for PPE is supported by a 24/7national supply and logistics network.
“There is a herculean effort behind the scenes, supported by the military, to get the right kit to our frontline heroes. These new supply chains, matched with a call to arms for more businesses and organisations to join this national effort, will help save lives.”
The 3-strand plan sets out:
- guidance: being clear who needs PPE and when, and who does not, based on UK clinical expertise and WHO standards. This will ensure workers on the front line are able to do their jobs safely, while making sure PPE is only used when clinically necessary and isn’t wasted or stockpiled
- distribution: making sure those who need PPE can get it and at the right time. The government will ensure those who need critical PPE receive it as quickly as possible by setting up a new national supply system
- future supply: taking action to secure enough PPE to see us through the crisis. The actions being taken to ensure we have enough critical PPE to last the UK through the pandemic, working alongside industry to boost future supply. The government has already co-ordinated deliveries of PPE directly to health and care providers and to 38 local resilience forums across England. These efforts are being co-ordinated across all 4 nations of the UK to ensure appropriate distribution of critical PPE
Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, over 761 million items of PPE have been delivered across the UK to 58,000 different settings, including hospitals, hospices, care homes, home care providers, GPs, pharmacists and dentists to ensure our frontline is protected. This includes 158 million masks, 135 million aprons and 360 million pairs of gloves.
The plan also emphasises the need to ramp up domestic production of PPE. The government is calling on industry to join forces to manufacture more protective equipment to support the national effort.
Already companies such as Burberry, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Ineos and Diageo have started work to produce equipment including gowns, visors and hand hygiene products.
Last week, following extensive consultation with the Medical Royal Colleges, all 4 UK governments published updated guidance for PPE for health and care workers. This covers doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers and social care staff.
Critical PPE guidance has also been published for cleaners, funeral directors and first responders. Beyond these roles in settings including supermarkets and public transport, the clinical evidence, which is kept under review, does not suggest widespread benefit from wearing PPE over and above social distancing, social isolation and good hand hygiene.
In addition to this a new dedicated team has been set up to focus on securing supplies and identifying PPE suppliers from across the globe to meet the increasing demand for a growing list of products, with a call to arms to businesses to turn their manufacturing efforts to this response to meet technical specifications published by government.
Businesses and organisations including Kingfisher Group, Apple, Huawei and BP have also stepped up to the plate to generously offer their own PPE for use by the NHS and public organisations.
But health professionals say they need more than warm words and three point plans at this critical time – they need ACTION, in the form of vital PPE equipment NOW.
The British Medical Association has learned that personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies in two large areas of England are running at dangerously low levels, and that some pieces of equipment are no longer available – forcing doctors into impossible situations and ultimately, putting their lives at risk.
The doctors’ union understands that current PPE supplies in London and Yorkshire are not sufficient to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. This means staff and patients are increasingly being placed in harm’s way as they battle against the virus.
The Government is therefore, forcing doctors to place themselves and their patients in grave danger by expecting them to treat COVID-19 patients without adequate PPE.
The evidence comes just two weeks after the Government said that supplies of PPE were plentiful, and that equipment was flowing out to trusts.
According to a recent survey(1) by the BMA, however, more than half of doctors working in high-risk environments(2) said there were either shortages or no supply at all of adequate face masks, while 65% said they did not have access to eye protection.
Futhermore, 55% said they felt pressurised to work in a high-risk area despite not having adequate PPE.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “No doctor should ever have to be in harm’s way when they go to work, and in these unprecedented times, this has never been more important.
“This is not the flu. We are dealing with an unknown, highly-infectious, and potentially deadly virus that has already claimed the lives of several healthcare workers, including 11 doctors in the UK. It is absurd that the people trained to treat this disease are the ones who are not being appropriately protected – and without them, we face real disaster.
“It’s unclear whether the lack of PPE is directly linked to the recorded deaths of doctors so far, but we know that no healthcare workers have been infected in a hospital in Italy precisely because their PPE supplies are sufficient and of high-quality.
“This must be replicated here, in every healthcare setting, as a matter of urgency. Without it, doctors are being forced into a corner, facing heart-breaking decisions over whether to carry on caring for patients without proper protection and put themselves and patients at risk.
“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. We cannot continue like this, and need to see enough, adequate PPE delivered to staff across the country as soon as possible, not just for our health, but also, and most importantly, our patients’.
“We note the Government’s announcement this afternoon and its three-strand PPE Plan. However, 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 front line now.”
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