Coronavirus, NHS doctors speak out about protective equipment shortages

There are many NHS doctors who have complained about a shortage of protective material to take care of coronavirus patients.

NHS has become a hospital that takes care of Coronavirus patients in England. We make some actions like Clap for our Cares. It’s an action from us to showing NHS staff that we are thankful for their actions due to Coronavirus. Unfortunately, it is a reality that not many people know. Frontliner doctors at NHS told that they have been gagged from speak out about a shortage of protective equipment.

They need to wear protective clothes to treat Coronavirus patients. But some managers claim that they have threatened staff careers.

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NHS doctors report a shortage of protective equipment despite some heavy restrictions

The staff has been warned not to make any comments about shortages on social media, as well as avoiding talking to journalists, while NHS England has taken over the media operations for many NHS hospitals and staff.

After making comments about the lack of equipment, one GP has been banned from working in a community hospital in Ludlow. While in London, they were told to remove protective equipment they had purchased themselves. NHS England confirmed it was controlling media communications. Some NHS Staff had already spoken out about equipment concerns to them.

Dr. Rinesh Parmar, chairman of the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) said he received a large number of complaints from doctors. He added: “We are seeing draconian measures used to gag doctors and nurses on the frontline. The NHS will only benefit if we learn from each other’s experiences. If we are unable to share our learning then patients will be put at risk”. Dr. Parmar also adds that we must protect the frontline. NHS staff should not be gagged. Due to this condition, Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said the government had delivered 170 million masks, 42.8 million gloves, 13.7 million aprons, 182,000 gowns and 2.3 million pairs of googles to the NHS.

But still clinicians over the weekend continued to report shortages of respirator masks and had relied on donations from local companies and schools. Similar as in London, a doctor in North West told that they warned off to talk about equipment shortages in local media. The experienced GP, who asked to remain anonymous, added: “I felt I was being warned I wasn’t towing the party line”. One of them said they had been told this nationally.” The doctor also added that the frontlines should be allowed to speak about these issues. Health care staff need more PPE (personal protective equipment) to keep safe and shouldn’t be putting our families at risk. The leaders are saying we should have this PPE, but the fact is we can’t get it and when we raise this we are told not to speak out about that.

One intensive care doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, raised concerns with their managers about a shortage of protective masks after being told they would have to use less safe surgical masks. They claimed they were later warned in a meeting with trust bosses that their social media profiles would be watched. Another doctor claimed they were told it would be “against hospital policy” to talk about shortages of PPE publicly. They said they were told social media was being monitored.

A different doctor said managers had warned them against what they said was “inappropriate social media comments regarding the state of PPE”. The DAUK said they had received examples from across the country including the East of England, Yorkshire, Essex, and Lincolnshire. In the end, an NHS England spokesperson said: “Once a major incident occurs it is vital that the public receive fast, authoritative, open, clear and consistent information from their NHS, which is why in line with longstanding emergency protocols, official communications are therefore always coordinated nationally.”