• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Nurses issue urgent call for PPE review amid fear of deadly variant

Nursing leaders have warned they feel like “lambs to the slaughter” in the face of the new variant.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2021-01-23 07:55
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Nursing leaders have warned they feel like “lambs to the slaughter”, and called on ministers to carry out an urgent review of whether standard surgical masks offer enough protection against highly transmissible strains of coronavirus.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has written to the Government and joined forces with the British Medical Association (BMA) to write to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after members raised fears they have inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

The RCN said it was aware that some NHS trusts are using higher grade face masks in all parts of their hospitals, while others use standard face masks, thereby creating a “postcode lottery” for nursing staff.

RCN chief executive and general secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said nurses were concerned that the standard face mask may not be effective in protecting against new strains of the virus and possible airborne spread in healthcare settings.

The College is calling for a review of infection control guidance and for all NHS staff to be given the higher grade of PPE as a precaution pending the outcome.

‘Short of protection’

Dame Donna said: “The Government’s silence on this issue is creating a postcode lottery for nursing staff whereby some working on wards have access to the higher-grade face masks and others do not.

“It must stop dragging its feet on this issue. Nursing staff need to have full confidence that they are protected.

RelatedPosts

Warning for Brit tourists: Spanish beaches introduce NEW smoking fines

No airport chaos for him! PM flew back from family trip to Cornwall on ministerial jet

Woman allegedly raped by 14-year-old boy – in popular Manchester club

‘Tax all childless adults!’ – UK expert’s unhinged proposals spark backlash

“Staff picking up this virus at work are angered at any suggestion they have stopped following the rules – this is down to the new variant and the dangerous shortage of adequate protection.”

Jane, which is not her real name, is a nurse from Yorkshire and member of grassroots campaign group Nurses United.

She said she contracted Covid in April 2020 after helping a coronavirus patient inside an ambulance, while both she and the patient were wearing a surgical mask.

She has suffered from debilitating Long Covid symptoms since, even taking the last four weeks off work due to chronic fatigue – nine months after her initial infection.

“I feel kind of like half the human that I was,” Jane added. She said failing to protect all staff with suitable PPE made staff feel like “commodities”.

“In critical care areas they’re in full PPE but in the actual wards we’re still in surgical masks… the issue is that the surgical facemasks aren’t effective enough,” she said.

“On top of the trauma, the PTSD and everything else that staff are feeling… people feel let down, scared and vulnerable – like we’re just commodities or lambs to the slaughter. People start doubting who they’re working for and what they’re doing.”

‘Nurses at risk’

In a letter to Jo Churchill, minister for prevention, public health and primary care, Dame Donna said staff were “aware that fluid repellent surgical face masks and face coverings, as currently advised in most general healthcare settings and patients’ homes, are not protective against smaller infective aerosols despite the Government video outlining risks of infective aerosols in the air.”

In a further letter to Sarah Albon, chief executive of the HSE, and signed by Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA council, Dame Donna said: “In the absence of clarity on the reasons behind the new variants’ increased infectivity, we are calling for the HSE to take a precautionary approach and to use your role as a regulator to ensure employers and those developing national guidance meet and understand their responsibilities.”

She added: “Adequate supplies of PPE that meet the required specifications are vital to support nursing staff to do their jobs safely. Without support to use suitable PPE, nursing staff are putting their own lives, and the lives of their colleagues, families and patients, at risk.”

Related: Foreign NHS workers in England could be denied a Covid vaccine

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Film Review: The Square

Brexit forces bitter British couples to flee EU holiday homes

EXCLUSIVE: Romanians overwhelmingly offer to host Ukrainian refugees in their own homes

When Parents Should And Shouldn’t Help With Homework

Girl, 15, arrested over horrific tube station attack on Britain’s former US Ambassador

Zidane set to replace Solari managing Real Madrid less than a year after Argentine replaced him

Nigel Farage: Queen Mother was an ‘overweight, chain-smoking gin drinker’

House prices edge up, but growth to remain lacklustre amid Brexit uncertainty

Leave-supporting Llanelli left reeling as manufacturing industry moves out due to Brexit

Rob Delaney hails NHS as ‘pinnacle of human achievement’ as he backs Labour

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.