LONDON (Reuters) – Doctors and health workers criticized the British government on Saturday for suggesting that the gowns used to protect them when treating coronavirus patients could be reused because supplies are lacking across the country.
FILE PHOTO: Medical personnel are seen at a new test center as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Rochdale, Great Britain, April 16, 2020. REUTERS / Phil Noble
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Britain is at or near the peak of a coronavirus epidemic in which more than 14,000 people have already died – the fifth highest national death toll from a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.
The government released new guidelines for hospitals on Friday, stating that alternatives to long, waterproof coats may need to be used, including reusable coats or even long-sleeved lab coats.
“This advice is yet another admission of the dire situation some doctors and health care workers continue to find themselves in because of government failures,” said Rob Harwood, chair of the British Medical Association’s consultant committee – the union doctors.
“If it is proposed that staff reuse equipment, it must be clearly driven by science and the best evidence – rather than availability – and it absolutely cannot compromise the protection of health care workers.”
Britain’s reaction to the coronavirus epidemic – lagging behind that of its European peers – is a source of growing political criticism for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself contracted by the virus and recovering now from a period of intensive care.
Health Minister Matt Hancock told a committee of lawmakers on Friday that Britain was “tight on dresses” but 55,000 more were arriving and aiming to get the right equipment where it was needed d ‘by the end of this weekend.
A health department spokesperson said the new guidelines should ensure that staff know what to do to minimize the risk in the event of a shortage. They said the new rules remained in line with international standards.
The Royal College of Nursing said it had written “in the strongest terms” to voice its concerns about the rule change, and said it had not been consulted about it.
Suppliers to the NHS, an organization that represents hospitals and other parts of the UK-funded National Health Service (NHS), said the supply levels of gowns are critical.
“It is now clear that some trusts will run out of fully flowing repellents this weekend,” said Deputy Managing Director Saffron Cordery.
The body said that China was the only immediately available source of dresses, which means there was international competition for supplies. He also said that there had been problems with shipments from China, such as stocks labeled as dresses actually containing face masks.
Reporting by William James and Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Toby Chopra
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