Coronavirus: Where does the PPE in UK hospitals come from?

Governments around the world are locked in a struggle to secure enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep medical staff safe.

Ideally when coming into contact with somebody with COVID-19, medical staff should wear face masks, gowns, gloves and goggles or face visors.

The use of PPE like this is not new but the coronavirus pandemic has massively increased the amount that is needed, leading to shortages.

In some cases doctors and nurses have complained the lack of PPE has left them with the choice between their patients’ safety or their own.

The initial PPE shortages were caused because normal supply chains were unable to cope with the sudden increase in demand caused by the pandemic.

A new distribution system was therefore introduced by the government, with logistical support from the army.

NHS England says PPE supplies are now being housed in centralised warehouses, with daily deliveries taking place to the 217 NHS Trusts in England.

The trusts can then distribute the equipment throughout their hospitals as needed – and similar schemes are in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The government is also making additional supplies available to traditional PPE wholesalers, so that they can continue to supply clients such as GP surgeries, care homes and pharmacies as normal.

Local Resilience Forums and the National Supply Distribution Response (NSDR) are receiving additional supplies as well.

In theory, any organisation which can’t get PPE by the usual supply routes can phone the NSDR to request an urgent delivery.

However, the new distribution system relies on the government being able to get enough PPE to meet the growing demand.

The UK already had a stockpile of PPE for a potential influenza pandemic, which it has used to supply hospitals which needed equipment.

But the stockpile had fewer gowns and face visors – as these items are less useful for an influenza pandemic – and other PPE items will also need to be restocked at some point in the future.

It is hoped UK companies will be able to help bridge the gap between existing suppliers and the current demand, although many of those who have contacted the government say they’ve been ignored.

The British Medical Association say they’ve spoken to 70 firms who are ready to manufacture PPE but who have “yet to receive a response through official government and NHS routes”.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph has reported that millions of pieces of PPE are being shipped to EU countries by wholesalers in the UK, because they had received no reply from the UK government.

In response, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said thousands of companies have offered to supply equipment and that some delays were unavoidable as checks were carried out.

But, he said, 159 potential manufacturers have been identified by the government as potential PPE suppliers.

There are some items, however, the government will have to buy internationally.

Only one UK company, fabric specialist Don & Low, makes the fluid-resistant material necessary to make medical gowns of the quality needed to protect staff from COVID-19.

The UK will therefore have to procure medical gowns from overseas to keep hospitals supplied.

International supplies are currently proving difficult to come by however, as demand grows around the world and many countries adopt export bans to keep critical supplies to themselves.

On Saturday, the UK government said 84 tonnes of PPE would be delivered from Turkey to the UK the next day.

Only part of the order has arrived so far, as Turkish officials say the commercial supplier did not have enough stock to fulfil the order.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Where does the PPE in UK hospitals come from?