Doctors' Association demands public inquiry into lack of PPE

20 April 2020, 08:02 | Updated: 7 June 2023, 08:56

Doctors' Association demands public inquiry into lack of PPE

By Adrian Sherling

The chair of the Doctors' Association has told LBC they are demanding a public inquiry into the shortages of protective equipment for NHS staff.

There have been constant reports from doctors and nurses that they have been required to treat patients with Covid-19 without the necessary PPE.

Dr Rinesh Parmar told Tom Swarbrick that the government's response has not been good enough.

He said: "We have been collecting signatures on a petition calling for a full and frank public inquiry into what's happening with PPE to commence after all this is over with Covid-19 and we've had a chance to recover.

Tom Swarbrick spoke to the Doctors' Association over lack of PPE
Tom Swarbrick spoke to the Doctors' Association over lack of PPE. Picture: LBC / PA

"We are concerned. Doctors have been contacting us for weeks now, talking about issues with getting PPE on the frontline.

"We hear that there are missed opportunities. Missed opportunities to source PPE from the European Union. Missed opportunities here in this country with suppliers contacting the government saying that they have stocks available and not receiving a reply.

"All these things will need to be looked at - both urgently now and going forward, as well as in the fullness of time with a public inquiry.

"We need to know what's gone wrong here and understand why it's gone wrong."

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A shipment from Turkey of 84 tonnes of PPE for health workers is due to arrive in the UK later, after it was delayed yesterday.

A newspaper article yesterday revealed that the government sent PPE to China earlier this year, but Michael Gove insisted the UK had imported far more back from China since then.