Lorraine, an NHS nurse in London told ITV Good Morning Britain she was told by her manager to share facemasks and other protective equipment with her colleagues as they face a “tsunami” of coronavirus patients. She denounced the Government’s failure to provide NHS staff with protective equipment four months ago when they first learned about coronavirus. She described her day-to-day- life as going into a “war zone”.
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She said: “We are going into a war zone, this is definitely something I hope we will never have to experience again.
“If we do I hope we are more prepared.”
“We are frightened”, she added.
“None of us is shying away from this but I cannot understand.
“We are going into this tsunami.”
Doctors will be forced to leave the profession during the coronavirus pandemic due to a lack of protective equipment, the head of a medics group has warned.
Amid fears over NHS staff shortages, the head of the Doctors’ Association UK said existing staff may feel forced to leave because they do not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely treat Covid-19 patients.
Chairman Dr Rinesh Parmar gave the warning as the Government urges recruitment of medical staff, including asking those who have recently left to return to help cope with the pandemic.
He told The Guardian: “The longer this epidemic goes on for, if doctors feel that there is a widespread lack of personal protective equipment, then some doctors may feel they have no choice but to give up the profession they love because they feel so abandoned by not being given the PPE that the World Health Organisation recommends.
“That’s the travesty of this situation – that the Government needs to protect frontline health workers and in return, they will give 100 percent.
“But the Government hasn’t kept its side of the bargain with NHS staff by not having enough PPE available to safeguard the health of doctors and nurses.”
For healthcare workers providing treatment to COVID-19 patients, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a medical mask, gown, gloves and eye protection.
However, the agency noted there is an international shortage of PPE, particularly masks and respirators.
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Dr Parmar’s comments come after Matt Hancock promised a “military effort” to get equipment to health and social care workers.
On Tuesday, the Health and Social Care Secretary announced that a new hotline had been set up that staff can call if they are running low on supplies.
He said that 7.5 million pieces of protective equipment, including face masks, had been shipped out to frontline workers in the past day.
During the daily Downing Street briefing on coronavirus, Mr Hancock said: “Many, many people across the NHS are asking for more personal protective equipment (PPE).
“If people are working on the frontline to look after us, it is vital that we look after them.”
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