UK NHS Collapsed? Scared British Healthworkers refuse to work without PPEs | Misreporting Death Data

[Asian.Century]

UK NHS Collapsed? Scared British Health workers refuse to work without PPEs | Miscounting deaths

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/19/nhs-collapse-former-health-minister-norman-lamb

Huge spike in deaths in England & Wales as Covid-19 linked to 1 in every 5 fatalities, suggesting UK is UNDERREPORTING

Deaths: The number of people in the UK who have died after contracting coronavirus has risen 761 to 12,868, official figures show. Read more here.' data-reactid="26">Deaths: The number of people in the UK who have died after contracting coronavirus has risen 761 to 12,868, official figures show. Read more here.

Eight residents of a care home in Merseyside have died of suspected coronavirus. It comes as the government faces growing pressure to include deaths in the community in daily figures. Read more here.

14 Apr, 2020 13:16 / Updated 1 day ago
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A Medical worker in an ambulance in Streatham, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London © REUTERS / Hannah McKay
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Covid-19 death tolls in England and Wales have shot up dramatically, with one in every five now linked to the coronavirus, while the UK government has been accused of underreporting fatalities among the elderly in care homes.

New data published on Tuesday by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) – which detail all deaths in hospitals and out in the community – including care homes – show that Covid-19 accounted for 21 percent of all fatalities in the week ending April 3, compared to just 4.8 percent of deaths the week before.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1249980976912089088

The staggering increase in registered deaths – up more than 5,000 in just one week – may suggest that official daily coronavirus figures published by the government may not have been an accurate reflection of the real numbers.

Of all coronavirus-related deaths registered up to April 3, just under 10 percent occurred in hospices, care homes and private homes, according to the ONS figures.

However, David Behan, the boss of one of Britain’s biggest nursing home operators HC-One, claims the number of Covid-19 deaths among elderly residents is a lot higher than has been officially reported by the UK government.

ALSO ON RT.COM

PM Boris Johnson’s administration claims the disease has been reported in one out of every eight UK care homes, but Behan has revealed that cases of the new coronavirus have been identified in 232 of his firm's homes – two-thirds of the total. 311 of his residents have died with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

The UK government has come under fire from senior health and social care officials for not providing enough or adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their frontline workers.

Nadra Ahmed, Chair of the National Care Association, claimed on ITV’s GMB show on Tuesday that care homes are being charged huge amounts of money for PPE, which is “unsustainable.” Ahmed revealed that the UK government had not removed taxes such as VAT for the care sector like they have done for the National Health Service (NHS).

Britain is not on its own when it comes to claims of underreporting cases. Both the Netherlands and Austria have also become embroiled in accusations that they have been underestimating the true number of deaths and associated with Covid-19 and cases of the disease.

Figures published by the department for health and social care on Tuesday showed that 93,873 people in the UK had tested positive for the coronavirus in hospital, of which 12,107 had died.

The UK has entered its fourth week in lockdown with some other European nations such as Denmark and Spain planning to relax some of their Covid-19 suppression measures.

https://www.rt.com/uk/485748-england-wales-deaths-coronavirus/

Failing over Personal Protective equipment PPE in UK and scared NHS workers worried over lack of PPE

London, April 12 (IANS) UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has apologised over failings on personal protective equipment (PPE) in the country during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it was reported.

When pressed repeatedly to say sorry to National Health Service (NHS) workers over a lack of PPE at a press briefing here on Saturday, Patel said: "I'm sorry if people feel there have been failings," the Metro newspaper reported.

"It is inevitable that the demand and the pressures on PPE and demand for PPE are going to be exponential. They are going to be incredibly high.


"And of course we are trying to address that as a government," she added.

Patel's comments come after repeated complaints from NHS staff and medical experts that there has been a shortage of specialist equipment, amid suggestions that it has been putting lives at risk.

Nineteen NHS workers have now died after contracting the disease.

Meanwhile, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said it was "absolutely critical" that PPE was distributed to all those working on the frontline "so that they not only are protected but they feel safe", the Metro newspaper reported.

"Clearly there is a global demand for personal protective equipment at the moment and that the government with our support is working night and day to ensure that we procure the PPE that we need."

--IANS

UK care home worker reveals extent of PPE & testing shortages

"Some care home residents need to be admitted to hospital fairly frequently, making them more likely to come into contact with the virus," but AS told that they are not tested.

There are currently over 20,000 care homes across the UK. Many are owned by private companies; some by voluntary organisations and charities; while local authorities and NHS Trusts are responsible for the rest.

**Follow all the latest news related to the coronavirus pandemic**

Care home Covid-19 concerns in UK
The ownership of these vital facilities is extremely fragmented. HC-One and MHA are two of the UK’s largest care home providers, yet between them they operate just 3% of England’s care homes. With staff and residents increasingly likely to be exposed to coronavirus a joined-up approach is vital to save lives.

One member of care home staff, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke to AS English about the growing strain on the care system. Without a cohesive plan to tackle the outbreak, they fear both staff and residents will be put to unacceptable risk.

“Our care home was open to everyone, including all visitors until we were told by the government that basically we had to stop letting visitors in.

“We were in lockdown and they were still allowing visitors until they were told that care homes had to stop. Other care homes had stopped letting visitors in a couple of weeks before.”

The NHS cannot provide the personal protection equipment (PPE) that care homes require so providers are forced to act independently to get the kit they so desperately need.

Sin tituloRainbow posters, used as a symbol of hope during the coronavirus pandemic, are seen in the window at Oakland House care home in Manchester. ANTHONY DEVLIN (AFP)

The CEO of Methodist Homes, Sam Monaghan, told the BBC that they had spent £200,000 on masks because they were not confident that the ‘inconsistent and inadequate’ NHS supply chain would get to staff in time. The price charged by a private supplier was five times the normal cost.

This has had a knock-on effect for care home staff. Those life-saving resources are having to be carefully rationed. The care home worker that we spoke to explained the extent of the problem.

“Not every staff member has been given access to masks, they just don’t have enough stock. The only time anyone in the building is wearing a mask is when they go into the few residents that are being barrier nursed.”

Testing not serving its purpose
‘Barrier’ nursing is used for residents who are at an increased risk of contracting coronavirus but have not been tested. Some care home residents need to be admitted to hospital fairly frequently, making them more likely to come into contact with the virus. But until testing is rolled out across care homes, staff are being left in the dark.

“We’re still having residents coming from hospital who may have Covid-19 and they’re not being tested before they come to us, so it is a possibility they may be infected and we wouldn’t know.”

With all these residents having to be barrier nursed for a week due to the lack of testing, the limited number of masks will not stretch far enough to protect the staff going about their daily work.

“The staff are not 2-meter distancing because it’s basically impossible and we don’t have access to masks or have any in stock… with the lack of protective equipment it makes everyone much more vulnerable”.

The staff member that we spoke to lives with and cares for their young child, and without enough PPE the danger to both parent and child is increased.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday promised an increase in social care testing to include all new care home residents who enter the care system from hospitals.

The government has set a target of completing a total of 100,000 tests a day by the end of April, but Dr Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at LSE, told the BBC that the reality was likely to be "nowhere near" that figure.

UK charities say death statistics 'airbrushing' out elderly coronavirus victims

Five U.K. charities sent a letter to the government Monday raising the alarm that the country's care system for elderly people is being overwhelmed, arguing that care staff doesn't have enough personal protective equipment and that the coronavirus deaths of older people in homes are not being counted in the government's official statistics.

Leaders of the U.K. Alzheimers Society; Marie Curie; Age UK; Care England; and Independent Age all signed on to the Monday letter, pleading with the government to step up its efforts in caring and accounting for COVID-19 cases in those living in assiste-living facilities and the like in the U.K., arguing that "[o]lder people's lives are not worth less."

"A lack of protective equipment means staff are putting their own lives at risk while also carrying the virus to highly vulnerable groups," the letter reads. "Care England estimates that there have been nearly a thousand deaths already, yet deaths from coronavirus in care homes are not being officially recorded or published, social care is the neglected frontline."

 

[313ghazi]

It's not quite there yet but it's what I'm beginning to fear. I've worked in education and things are on the decline there too. Similar story in pensions, housing, affordability of life.

This is one of the reasons overseas Pakistanis are so desperate to see Pakistan succeed. It might sound selfish but we want to be able to live a comfortable life back home, as the salaried class. Right now that is so hard for many in the salaried class.

 

[Blacklight]

It's not quite there yet but it's what I'm beginning to fear. I've worked in education and things are on the decline there too. Similar story in pensions, housing, affordability of life.

This is one of the reasons overseas Pakistanis are so desperate to see Pakistan succeed. It might sound selfish but we want to be able to live a comfortable life back home, as the salaried class. Right now that is so hard for many in the salaried class.

Until we repent as a nation, from corruption / injustice is it possible?

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

UK NHS Collapsed? Scared British Health workers refuse to work without PPEs | Miscounting deaths

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/19/nhs-collapse-former-health-minister-norman-lamb

Huge spike in deaths in England & Wales as Covid-19 linked to 1 in every 5 fatalities, suggesting UK is UNDERREPORTING

Deaths: The number of people in the UK who have died after contracting coronavirus has risen 761 to 12,868, official figures show. Read more here.' data-reactid="26">Deaths: The number of people in the UK who have died after contracting coronavirus has risen 761 to 12,868, official figures show. Read more here.

Eight residents of a care home in Merseyside have died of suspected coronavirus. It comes as the government faces growing pressure to include deaths in the community in daily figures. Read more here.

14 Apr, 2020 13:16 / Updated 1 day ago
Get short URL

A Medical worker in an ambulance in Streatham, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London © REUTERS / Hannah McKay
Follow RT on

Covid-19 death tolls in England and Wales have shot up dramatically, with one in every five now linked to the coronavirus, while the UK government has been accused of underreporting fatalities among the elderly in care homes.

New data published on Tuesday by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) – which detail all deaths in hospitals and out in the community – including care homes – show that Covid-19 accounted for 21 percent of all fatalities in the week ending April 3, compared to just 4.8 percent of deaths the week before.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1249980976912089088

The staggering increase in registered deaths – up more than 5,000 in just one week – may suggest that official daily coronavirus figures published by the government may not have been an accurate reflection of the real numbers.

Of all coronavirus-related deaths registered up to April 3, just under 10 percent occurred in hospices, care homes and private homes, according to the ONS figures.

However, David Behan, the boss of one of Britain’s biggest nursing home operators HC-One, claims the number of Covid-19 deaths among elderly residents is a lot higher than has been officially reported by the UK government.

ALSO ON RT.COM

PM Boris Johnson’s administration claims the disease has been reported in one out of every eight UK care homes, but Behan has revealed that cases of the new coronavirus have been identified in 232 of his firm's homes – two-thirds of the total. 311 of his residents have died with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

The UK government has come under fire from senior health and social care officials for not providing enough or adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their frontline workers.

Nadra Ahmed, Chair of the National Care Association, claimed on ITV’s GMB show on Tuesday that care homes are being charged huge amounts of money for PPE, which is “unsustainable.” Ahmed revealed that the UK government had not removed taxes such as VAT for the care sector like they have done for the National Health Service (NHS).

Britain is not on its own when it comes to claims of underreporting cases. Both the Netherlands and Austria have also become embroiled in accusations that they have been underestimating the true number of deaths and associated with Covid-19 and cases of the disease.

Figures published by the department for health and social care on Tuesday showed that 93,873 people in the UK had tested positive for the coronavirus in hospital, of which 12,107 had died.

The UK has entered its fourth week in lockdown with some other European nations such as Denmark and Spain planning to relax some of their Covid-19 suppression measures.

https://www.rt.com/uk/485748-england-wales-deaths-coronavirus/

Failing over Personal Protective equipment PPE in UK and scared NHS workers worried over lack of PPE

London, April 12 (IANS) UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has apologised over failings on personal protective equipment (PPE) in the country during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it was reported.

When pressed repeatedly to say sorry to National Health Service (NHS) workers over a lack of PPE at a press briefing here on Saturday, Patel said: "I'm sorry if people feel there have been failings," the Metro newspaper reported.

"It is inevitable that the demand and the pressures on PPE and demand for PPE are going to be exponential. They are going to be incredibly high.


"And of course we are trying to address that as a government," she added.

Patel's comments come after repeated complaints from NHS staff and medical experts that there has been a shortage of specialist equipment, amid suggestions that it has been putting lives at risk.

Nineteen NHS workers have now died after contracting the disease.

Meanwhile, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said it was "absolutely critical" that PPE was distributed to all those working on the frontline "so that they not only are protected but they feel safe", the Metro newspaper reported.

"Clearly there is a global demand for personal protective equipment at the moment and that the government with our support is working night and day to ensure that we procure the PPE that we need."

--IANS

UK care home worker reveals extent of PPE & testing shortages

"Some care home residents need to be admitted to hospital fairly frequently, making them more likely to come into contact with the virus," but AS told that they are not tested.

There are currently over 20,000 care homes across the UK. Many are owned by private companies; some by voluntary organisations and charities; while local authorities and NHS Trusts are responsible for the rest.

**Follow all the latest news related to the coronavirus pandemic**

Care home Covid-19 concerns in UK
The ownership of these vital facilities is extremely fragmented. HC-One and MHA are two of the UK’s largest care home providers, yet between them they operate just 3% of England’s care homes. With staff and residents increasingly likely to be exposed to coronavirus a joined-up approach is vital to save lives.

One member of care home staff, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke to AS English about the growing strain on the care system. Without a cohesive plan to tackle the outbreak, they fear both staff and residents will be put to unacceptable risk.

“Our care home was open to everyone, including all visitors until we were told by the government that basically we had to stop letting visitors in.

“We were in lockdown and they were still allowing visitors until they were told that care homes had to stop. Other care homes had stopped letting visitors in a couple of weeks before.”

The NHS cannot provide the personal protection equipment (PPE) that care homes require so providers are forced to act independently to get the kit they so desperately need.

Sin tituloRainbow posters, used as a symbol of hope during the coronavirus pandemic, are seen in the window at Oakland House care home in Manchester. ANTHONY DEVLIN (AFP)

The CEO of Methodist Homes, Sam Monaghan, told the BBC that they had spent £200,000 on masks because they were not confident that the ‘inconsistent and inadequate’ NHS supply chain would get to staff in time. The price charged by a private supplier was five times the normal cost.

This has had a knock-on effect for care home staff. Those life-saving resources are having to be carefully rationed. The care home worker that we spoke to explained the extent of the problem.

“Not every staff member has been given access to masks, they just don’t have enough stock. The only time anyone in the building is wearing a mask is when they go into the few residents that are being barrier nursed.”

Testing not serving its purpose
‘Barrier’ nursing is used for residents who are at an increased risk of contracting coronavirus but have not been tested. Some care home residents need to be admitted to hospital fairly frequently, making them more likely to come into contact with the virus. But until testing is rolled out across care homes, staff are being left in the dark.

“We’re still having residents coming from hospital who may have Covid-19 and they’re not being tested before they come to us, so it is a possibility they may be infected and we wouldn’t know.”

With all these residents having to be barrier nursed for a week due to the lack of testing, the limited number of masks will not stretch far enough to protect the staff going about their daily work.

“The staff are not 2-meter distancing because it’s basically impossible and we don’t have access to masks or have any in stock… with the lack of protective equipment it makes everyone much more vulnerable”.

The staff member that we spoke to lives with and cares for their young child, and without enough PPE the danger to both parent and child is increased.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday promised an increase in social care testing to include all new care home residents who enter the care system from hospitals.

The government has set a target of completing a total of 100,000 tests a day by the end of April, but Dr Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at LSE, told the BBC that the reality was likely to be "nowhere near" that figure.

UK charities say death statistics 'airbrushing' out elderly coronavirus victims

Five U.K. charities sent a letter to the government Monday raising the alarm that the country's care system for elderly people is being overwhelmed, arguing that care staff doesn't have enough personal protective equipment and that the coronavirus deaths of older people in homes are not being counted in the government's official statistics.

Leaders of the U.K. Alzheimers Society; Marie Curie; Age UK; Care England; and Independent Age all signed on to the Monday letter, pleading with the government to step up its efforts in caring and accounting for COVID-19 cases in those living in assiste-living facilities and the like in the U.K., arguing that "[o]lder people's lives are not worth less."

"A lack of protective equipment means staff are putting their own lives at risk while also carrying the virus to highly vulnerable groups," the letter reads. "Care England estimates that there have been nearly a thousand deaths already, yet deaths from coronavirus in care homes are not being officially recorded or published, social care is the neglected frontline."

Don't know about the whole of England but Paddington Hospital in London is on the verge of saturation and collapse. They are at breaking point.

 

[Asian.Century]

One third of NHS staff and key workers tested in the UK have coronavirus, amid concerns over access to protective equipment
By Rob Picheta, CNN

Updated 1314 GMT (2114 HKT) April 14, 2020

London (CNN)A third of NHS staff and key workers who have been tested for coronavirus in the UK have returned positive results, new British government data shows.

According to figures released Monday, 16,888 people who fall into the category of "key workers and their households," and who have shown symptoms or live with symptomatic people, have been tested. So far, 5,733 -- or 34 percent -- were confirmed to have the virus.

Health workers who are not symptomatic and do not live with people who are do not meet the UK's criteria for testing, so the number is not necessarily representative of all workers.

The government has been under intense pressure to ramp up testing for NHS workers and their families, and to improve their access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has previously said that the ultimate goal is to provide testing to all NHS workers regardless of symptoms.


Boris Johnson is getting better, but the nation he leads is not

But the level of testing in the UK remains drastically lower than several European countries. Responding to criticism over the rate, Hancock said on April 2 he would increase the number from 10,000 to 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month -- saying he was "determined we'll get there".

On April 12, however, only 14,506 tests were conducted according to his Health Department, suggesting the government is significantly behind that goal.

On the issue of equipment, meanwhile, Hancock said Sunday that the government was "working night and day to make sure that we get the right PPE."

At least 19 NHS workers battling the coronavirus pandemic have died, and numerous associations representing medical workers have complained that they have not been provided with enough PPE to safely treat Covid-19 patients.

On Monday, the Royal College of Nursing issued guidance that staff were entitled to refuse to work if they did not feel comfortable doing so: "If the employer does not provide appropriate PPE and a safe working environment, as an employee you can refuse to care for a patient."

The union emphasized that this should be a "last resort," and that "you must be able to justify your decision as reasonable, so keep a written record of the safety concerns that led you to withdraw treatment."

Donna Kinnair, the union's chief executive, told the BBC on Saturday that British nurses do not have adequate protection.

"My inbox, on a daily basis, this is the number one priority that nurses are bringing to my attention -- that they do not have adequate supplies of PPE equipment," she said.

CNN's Simon Cullen contributed reporting

 

[Asian.Century]

It's not quite there yet but it's what I'm beginning to fear. I've worked in education and things are on the decline there too. Similar story in pensions, housing, affordability of life.

This is one of the reasons overseas Pakistanis are so desperate to see Pakistan succeed. It might sound selfish but we want to be able to live a comfortable life back home, as the salaried class. Right now that is so hard for many in the salaried class.

Britain as a society is in deterioation from many years. I also live in UK for many years, both Pakistanis, Indians I know see the economy going down, isolated life, rascism on the rise, daily item prices too high.

UK education standards have gone down, places with Black, Asian towns in London have low investment, government is not putting money on those areas, due to low investment crimes a rising.

UK infrastructure is old, the country needs a overhaul of infrastructure and construction spending bill to rebuilt old Britain until then its heading for doom

 

[Adam_Khan]

Don't know about the whole of England but Paddington Hospital in London is on the verge of saturation and collapse. They are at breaking point.

I work in the NHS and right now I've been quarantined for suspected covid symptoms, to be honest my native NHS colleagues are so scared of working these days that they're now making excuses to somehow stay at home. It's came to a point where the trusts are now testing everyone who start complaining of having symptoms and instead of the usual 14 days isolation period they have now limited it to 7 days once your test results are negative.

On top of that we have been advised to just use normal gloves,a face mask and a plastic apron to examine covid positive patients,most of us have been mask fitted for N95 masks but we have also been told that they're only to be used if doing aerosol involved procedures like intubating patients which is bullshit because I only started having symptoms after I came in contact with confirmed infected patients during my on calls.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

The care homes have been left to fend for themselves. Utter shambles.

And then you got two most sensitive ministries handed over to Indian origin buffons.

 

[Pakistani Fighter]

Pakistan should help UK

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

I work in the NHS and right now I've been quarantined for suspected covid symptoms, to be honest my native NHS colleagues are so scared of working these days that they're now making excuses to somehow stay at home. It's came to a point where the trusts are now testing everyone who start complaining of having symptoms and instead of the usual 14 days isolation period they have now limited it to 7 days once your test results are negative.

On top of that we have been advised to just use normal gloves,a face mask and a plastic apron to examine covid positive patients,most of us have been mask fitted for N95 masks but we have also been told that they're only to be used if doing aerosol involved procedures like intubating patients which is bullshit because I only started having symptoms after I came in contact with confirmed infected patients during my on calls.

My heart goes to you bro. Stay safe. Well done for what you and the NHS are doing. My prayers are with you.

 

[Adam_Khan]

NHS bosses have asked doctors and nurses to work without protective full-length gowns when treating Covid-19 patients, as hospitals came within hours of running out of supplies.

The guidance is a reversal of Public Health England (PHE) guidelines stipulating that full-length waterproof surgical gowns, designed to stop coronavirus droplets getting into someone’s mouth or nose, should be worn for all high-risk hospital procedures.

In a significant U-turn, PHE advised frontline staff to wear a flimsy plastic apron with coveralls when gowns ran out, in a move that doctors and nurses fear may lead to more of them contracting the virus and ultimately putting lives at risk. The PHE announcement on Friday evening came shortly after the planned move was revealed by the Guardian. Meanwhile:

• Nearly 15,000 people were confirmed to have died from coronavirus in UK hospitals, with the total rising by 847 on Friday to 14,576. After a peak of 980, fewer than 900 deaths have been recorded in hospitals for six days in a row.
  

• Only 21,000 tests were carried out – some of them duplicates – putting the government far short of its goal of 100,000 a day by the end of the month.
  

• The health secretary said Britain would restart tracing the contacts of people with coronavirus symptoms, having stopped in early March.
  

• The government set up a vaccines taskforce to help the development, rapid production and introduction of a vaccine.
  

The government confirmed that 1bn items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were to have been delivered across the UK by this weekend – but hospitals and care homes continued to suffer shortages, in particular of gowns. More than 50 frontline healthcare workers have died amid fears a lack of PPE is leaving them exposed.

Prof Keith Willett, who has been leading NHS England’s response to the coronavirus crisis, helped formulate the new PHE guidance, which is being sent to all 217 trusts in England.

It sets out options for what frontline staff should do when they cannot access gowns. They include hospitals that still have gowns lending each other batches of them, wearing coveralls – one-piece items of personal protective equipment (PPE) that cover the whole body – and using plastic aprons as alternatives.

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It confirms that wearing “disposable, non-fluid-repellent gowns/coveralls with a disposable plastic apron for high-risk settings and aerosol-generating procedures [such as intubation] with forearm washing once gown/coverall is removed” is one of the alternatives staff should deploy once gowns run out.

A source had told the Guardian: “The new guidance will say ‘this is what you do if you don’t have any gowns’. Wear an apron instead – that will be the new policy for the foreseeable future, though the medical organisations will go mad about that.”

Gowns are vital for frontline staff dealing with Covid-positive patients because, alongside an FFP3 face mask, visor or goggles and two pairs of gloves, they make up the full PPE which PHE says is necessary to minimise the risk of infection from intubating patients being put on a ventilator.

Advising staff to use aprons instead of gowns carries the risk of a major confrontation with staff groups. The Royal College of Nursing last week made clear that nurses should refuse to treat patients if they were not happy that the level of PPE available would protect them properly. The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, has also warned that doctors’ lives are being put at risk by stocks of PPE having reached “dangerously low levels”.

Shortages of gowns in hospitals in England are far worse than Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has admitted, hospital bosses claim. “We are tight on gowns. That is the pressure point at the moment,” Hancock told MPs on the Commons health and social care select committee in an evidence session on Friday morning.

He said: “We have another 55,000 gowns arriving today and we’re working on the acquisition internationally of more gowns, but it is a challenge. This follows changing the guidance 10 days ago which increased the advice on the use of gowns but also said that they should be used for sessional use rather than for individual patient use ... And it is a big challenge delivering against that new guidance and we’re doing everything we possibly can.”

He could not guarantee that every hospital would have the supplies needed to tide it over this weekend.

Hancock had sought to reassure MPs by stressing that 55,000 more gowns were due to arrive on Friday. However, those equate to about eight hours’ supply because the NHS is currently using 150,000 gowns a day.

There were only “several tens of thousands” left in the NHS’s reserve stockpile, sources said on Friday. “Gowns have in effect already run out,” one said. “The situation is so serious that some trusts will run out today and others over the weekend.”

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Ed Davey, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, warned that PHE’s downgrading of the advice on PPE could result in more lives lost. “Changing official guidance on protective equipment from gowns to aprons translates to increased risk to frontline staff, at a time when the death toll from Covid-19 is already rising for frontline workers. This is intolerable,” he said.

“The health secretary’s repeated reassurances the supply of protective kit for staff was under control now look totally threadbare. Matt Hancock should have been completely candid about the level of personal protective equipment but is now fast losing the public’s confidence as the reality of severe shortages becomes clear.”

At least 50 doctors, nurses, midwives, porters and other NHS staff have died from the coronavirus so far, the Guardian has established.

PHE is braced for a backlash from medical and nursing organisations. However, some senior figures in NHS England were “exasperated” about PHE’s earlier stipulation that staff in high-risk Covid-19 environments should wear full PPE, including a gown, and regarded that as “excessive”.

NHS leaders and Hancock have been desperately trying to find a solution to the lack of gowns since the Guardian first highlighted last week an internal memo from NHS bosses warning hospital chiefs that “there are no immediate stocks of gowns due in the national supply chain over the next few days and we are unsighted on when further deliveries will be made”.

More than a week later, they have been forced to draw up the controversial new guidance, which is a tacit admission that shortages are set to continue.

NHS Providers, which represents trusts, said hospitals would implement the new guidance. “The supply of clinical gowns is now critical, and it is now clear that some trusts will run out of fully fluid-repellent gowns,” it said.

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Saffron Cordery, the organisation’s deputy chief executive, said: “Trusts and the National Strategic Reserve have very carefully managed the last remaining stock and trusts have helped each other wherever possible. They have used the remaining stock of coveralls as alternatives to gowns and have been deploying their gown stock very carefully.

“We understand the new recommendations … are aligned with World Health Organization guidance on the use of PPE when it is in short supply.

“Trust leaders will now implement this plan wherever needed and will therefore use the highest possible level of alternative protection equipment such as a fluid-retardant, as opposed to fluid-repellent, gown combined with an apron.”

The British Medical Association (BMA) said using aprons instead of gowns would increase the risks run by frontline staff. Dr Rob Harwood, chair of the BMA’s consultants committee, said: “The health and social care secretary admitted he couldn’t guarantee that supplies of gowns wouldn’t run out this weekend, and now this illustrates the dire situation that some doctors and healthcare workers are finding themselves in.

“If staff are now told to use aprons in the place of gowns, this directly contravenes the evidence and guidance from both Public Health England and the World Health Organization. Guidance that’s there to help keep healthcare workers and their patients out of harm’s way.

“Too many healthcare workers have already died. More doctors and their colleagues cannot be expected to put their own lives on the line in a bid to save others, and this new advice means they could be doing just that. It’s not a decision they should have to make.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social care said: “New clinical advice has been issued today to make sure that if there are shortages in one area, frontline staff know what PPE to wear instead to minimise risk. This has been reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive, and is in line with WHO and CDC guidance on PPE use in exceptional circumstances

 

[313ghazi]

All doctors, nurses and other medical staff should do a 15 minute walk out to protest these conditions. The clapping fools need to know what the reality is.

 

[UKBengali]

Guys, although the situation is not great with gowns, the NHS is far from "collapsed".

Hate to have to make this comparison but the UK has the second lowest death rate per capita(with France) of the major Western European economies after Germany.

Nearly all major Western countries are having this problem with lack of PPE and it is not just the UK.

Even though the "expert" said today that the UK is destined to have the largest death toll in Europe, this is far from certain. There were dire predictions last week that the death toll in the UK would now be around 1,500 daily but is around the still dreadful 800-900 ish mark. The steep upward trajectory of the death rate has been effectively flattened and can only come down from here.

UK industry is already producing 1000 of the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices daily that are one step before the need for full ventilation. This will have the effect of releasing pressure for the need for scarce ventilators and be maybe a better way to treat some patients.

As for the ventilator front, the slightly modified Penlon design has passed regulatory approval and hundreds will be delivered to the UK next week and 1000 a week from start of May. I am not even counting the 500 a week of the Smiths less sophisticated devices that will be manufactured by the UK consortium.
This production will suffice to build up the full capacity in all the in constructed/in construction Nightingale hospitals if required. UK will be ready for any "second wave" if that ever happens.

The main reason why Germany has managed to keep it's death rate so low is that it had a pre-existing diagnostics industry that none of the others like UK, France or Italy has had. UK is not testing any less people than either France or Italy.

I think after the initial bungles and dithering the Tories have done as well as can be expected. The country will get through this but unfortunately with 20-30,000 or so deaths.

 

[Asian.Century]

I work in the NHS and right now I've been quarantined for suspected covid symptoms, to be honest my native NHS colleagues are so scared of working these days that they're now making excuses to somehow stay at home. It's came to a point where the trusts are now testing everyone who start complaining of having symptoms and instead of the usual 14 days isolation period they have now limited it to 7 days once your test results are negative.

On top of that we have been advised to just use normal gloves,a face mask and a plastic apron to examine covid positive patients,most of us have been mask fitted for N95 masks but we have also been told that they're only to be used if doing aerosol involved procedures like intubating patients which is bullshit because I only started having symptoms after I came in contact with confirmed infected patients during my on calls.

Pray for your safety, please protect yourself first as an NHS worker.

Guys, although the situation is not great with gowns, the NHS is far from "collapsed".

Hate to have to make this comparison but the UK has the second lowest death rate per capita(with France) of the major Western European economies after Germany.

Nearly all major Western countries are having this problem with lack of PPE and it is not just the UK.

Even though the "expert" said today that the UK is destined to have the largest death toll in Europe, this is far from certain. There were dire predictions last week that the death toll in the UK would now be around 1,500 daily but is around the still dreadful 800-900 ish mark. The steep upward trajectory of the death rate has been effectively flattened and can only come down from here.

UK industry is already producing 1000 of the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices daily that are one step before the need for full ventilation. This will have the effect of releasing pressure for the need for scarce ventilators and be maybe a better way to treat some patients.

As for the ventilator front, the slightly modified Penlon design has passed regulatory approval and hundreds will be delivered to the UK next week and 1000 a week from start of May. I am not even counting the 500 a week of the Smiths less sophisticated devices that will be manufactured by the UK consortium.
This production will suffice to build up the full capacity in all the in constructed/in construction Nightingale hospitals if required. UK will be ready for any "second wave" if that ever happens.

The main reason why Germany has managed to keep it's death rate so low is that it had a pre-existing diagnostics industry that none of the others like UK, France or Italy has had. UK is not testing any less people than either France or Italy.

I think after the initial bungles and dithering the Tories have done as well as can be expected. The country will get through this but unfortunately with 20-30,000 or so deaths.

An excellent post Bangladeshi brother, UK has a lot to do more and explain more to the public why while being ahead of Italy by 2 weeks, they were very slow to respond. UK polices in recent 5 years has been terrible, tightening and reducing immigration massively. Also UK needs to massively invest in poor BAME areas, with new infrastructure, hospitals, roads and complete overhaul the towns which lacks basic necessities to be provided by Local Councils.

What we see now is with collapsing UK economy, its foreign service is busy blaming other countries like China about its own follies.

Look at how fast people are dying in UK, it is reducing the population fastest than ever thought, the wish the Tories, and Labour parties always wanted to reduce immigration, how they are suffering now. Its reducing.

 

[UKBengali]

An excellent post Bangladeshi brother, UK has a lot to do more and explain more to the public why while being ahead of Italy by 2 weeks, they were very slow to respond. UK polices in recent 5 years has been terrible, tightening and reducing immigration massively. Also UK needs to massively invest in poor BAME areas, with new infrastructure, hospitals, roads and complete overhaul the towns which lacks basic necessities to be provided by Local Councils.

What we see now is with collapsing UK economy, its foreign service is busy blaming other countries like China about its own follies.

Look at how fast people are dying in UK, it is reducing the population fastest than ever thought.

Bro, I am not trying to defend the Tories without good reason as I never voted for them and never would.

This crisis has been brought home to me as my brother's friend's mother passed away yesterday from Covid-19. She was around 70 and so in the same vulnerable group as my mother.

The Tories have systematically been eating away at the NHS for the last 10 years and the UK started this crisis with the worst healthcare system out of the 5 major W European countries(UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy).

Despite this, and again I hate to have to make this comparison, the UK seems to be managing as well as the French who are generally regarded to have a better and more well-funded healthcare system than the UK(12% of GDP on healthcare compared to 10% in the UK).

We need to give the Tories the credit where it is due:

1. 1000 Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices are being produced daily.
2. Mass production of the Penlon sophisticated ventilator and the ambulance-type Smith device will start next week and this will scale up to 1500 of both models each week from the first week of May.
3. NHS Nightingale in London already open and others all over the country currently being made ready which will be fully equipped quickly as listed above.
4. A "lockdown" that is less severe than that in France/Italy and Spain and therefore making all our lives a little bit more bearable.


UK economy is not faring any worse than other comparable ones and the IMF predicts the UK to have the least(severe) recession in Western Europe.

For the UK NHS to be coping as well as the world-class French healthcare system shows that after their initial bumbling and dithering the Tories are managing this crisis as well as can be expected.