• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About The London Economic
  • Advertise
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
NEWSLETTER
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Trust in Hancock ‘draining’ away as NHS staff may consider walking out

Answers demanded from Health Secretary new Government document on protective equipment appears to contradict WHO advice .

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
April 18, 2020
in News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

Medical staff may refuse to work this weekend if there are not enough gowns and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for them, a union has warned. The news comes as Matt Hancock couldn’t ensure the NHS that enough PPE could be distributed this weekend.

Around 50 NHS workers have now died after contracting coronavirus.

Sara Gorton, head of health at the union Unison, was quoted in the Independent saying: “Health managers must be truly honest with their staff … over the weekend. If gowns run out, staff in high risk areas may well decide that it’s no longer safe for them to work”.

Additionally GMB has said trust in Health Secretary Matt Hancock is “draining away” after Public Health England downgraded the Government’s advice on personal protective equipment.

The Government’s move, made last night without consultation with staff unions, followed a “rapid evidence” review conducted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) at the behest of the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser. 

While Public Health England states its new advice is “aligned” with World Health Organisation (WHO) advice, WHO guidance on severe shortages states disposable laboratory coats and disposable impermeable aprons should not be used when performing support treatments. 

A letter from Public Health England to the entire medical system on PPE sent on 28 March states “Consistent with the WHO guidelines, full sleeve gowns are recommended for high risk procedures (e.g. during AGPs) or where there is a risk of extensive splashing of blood and/or other body fluids.” 

RelatedPosts

Mail On Sunday ordered to print front-page statement on Meghan’s copyright win

UK guilty of breaching air pollution limits, European Court of Justice rules

Government ‘acted unlawfully’ by failing to publish over 500 Covid contracts in time – High Court

UK is ‘over’ – Welsh first minister’s damning comments on future of Union

Rapid evidence review

The HSE’s new “rapid evidence review” commissioned by the Government’s chief scientific adviser, appeared online with no publication date or explanation of the basis on which it was commissioned. 

GMB has written to the Health Secretary with five urgent questions to establish ‘how, when, who, why & what’ 

  1. How was the decision  to change the Public Health England guidance and to “compromise” on the Health & Safety Executive’s guidance made – and which factors – clinical and scientific – were taken into account? 
  2. When was the HSE’s “rapid evidence review” into personal protective equipment commissioned by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and on what basis? 
  3. Who made the decision to downgrade the Public Health England guidance in apparent contradiction of WHO coronavirus guidance on support treatment, NHS Scotland guidance and the 2019 Cochrane Systematic Review recommendations? 
  4. Why, in light of the HSE’s “rapid evidence review” and WHO guidance indicating that non-sleeve aprons expose the arms and torso to exposure, have aprons now been indicated for use in cases even when there is risk of “splashes or sprays” and without due regard to work settings such as ambulances where wash and change facilities are unavailable? 
  5. What further assessment has been made of the availability of other essential personal protective equipment (PPE) such as eyewear and gloves including and how will the Government proceed to publish rolling updates on the local and regional supplies of PPE referenced in the Public Health England guidance? 

Falling apart

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer said: “GMB raised critical protective equipment supply issues with the Government more than a month ago. It took until last Friday for Ministers’ PPE plan to be published, and it’s falling apart after just a week. It is key workers on the frontline who are paying the price for this litany of failure.

“It appears Government guidance is being hastily redrawn based on availability, not on evidence or best practice. This is downright dangerous territory and one that will amplify the concerns of NHS staff. 

“The Health Secretary now has serious and urgent questions to answer. Trust is draining away. He must urgently explain how this apparently non-clinical decision was made to downgrade public health advice in apparent contravention of global standards and previous advice. 

“GMB won’t tolerate a situation where our members are pushed onto the frontline without the basic kit they need to do their jobs safely. NHS and ambulance staff will now face unacceptable risks as a result of gross ministerial incompetence. We won’t let this go unchallenged and will now review the steps we need to take protect our members” 

A Department of Health spokesman said clinical advice had been issued today to ensure that if there are shortages in one area, frontline staff “know what PPE to wear instead to minimise risk”.

Related – UK lockdown – ‘Trust the British people and not treat them like children’

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 .

Tags: headline
Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction

File photo dated 07/11/03 of a prison cell.

The Other Prison Pandemic

Latest from TLE

Mail On Sunday ordered to print front-page statement on Meghan’s copyright win

Heavy traffic in Westminster generates exhaust pollution in London.

UK guilty of breaching air pollution limits, European Court of Justice rules

Government ‘acted unlawfully’ by failing to publish over 500 Covid contracts in time – High Court

UK is ‘over’ – Welsh first minister’s damning comments on future of Union

About Us

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

Read more

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

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




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About The London Economic
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

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