Excerpt from the article:
“The Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK), a network of grassroots medics, said the lack of gowns was a potential “disaster”.
“Employers have a legal obligation to provide the correct level of protective equipment to their employees when they are engaged in hazardous work.
“[NHS staff] should always be wearing the correct PPE for any given situation. Not knowing when vital PPE stock will be available signals the need for the government to urgently get a grip of the situation to protect the frontline”, said Dr Rinesh Parmar, DAUK’s chair.
“News of these reports represents nothing short of a disaster for the NHS and its employees. It corroborates what the DAUK has been hearing from frontline doctors for weeks and contradicts the line that this is a simple distribution issue.”
An NHS supply chain spokeswoman said: “We recognise that some trusts have low stocks of gowns and we are working hard with NHS England and NHS Improvement and across government as part of a central team to ensure those with the greatest need are prioritised to receive deliveries.”
Noting that it was crucial all PPE meets safety standards, she said that 119,000 gowns had been delivered in recent days, with more expected soon.”
