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The National Health Service arrived within days of running out of key items of personal protective equipment, according to the worst-case scenario contained in an internal evaluation seen by the Financial Times.
National demand for aprons and one type of surgical mask is estimated to greatly exceed supply, according to the April 26 document that will deepen concerns that the UK does not have sufficient equipment to protect health and care personnel.
Under the heading “days of stock in [national demand estimates]”, The figure given for both articles is zero in the document entitled” EPI inventory and usage rates “.
Government officials said the demand figures were only “worst-case” estimates. The Department of Health and Social Assistance added: “We do not comment on the leaked documents, but it is not true that we did not have a full-day supply for those items.”
Figures are likely to have changed in the week since the document was written, as many items will have been distributed, lowering stock levels, while others may have been boosted by the arrival of new shipments.
Demand figures may also have been revised, and many hospitals have seen a drop in admissions as the UK passes the peak of the pandemic.
The document seen by the FT compared the quantity of PPE products in the national inventory with the NDE – or the estimated need – for each product.
On April 26, according to the document, the apron NDE was 19.7m, almost four times greater than the available quantity.
For IIR face masks, fluid resistant protection that covers the nose and mouth, the NDE was approximately 4.6 million, more than double the amount contained, according to data shared with senior government officials.
The document also showed that the NHS had only two days of supply of eye protectors (6.5 million to meet the demand of approximately 3.5 million), five days of body bags and eight days of FFP3 face masks, used to handle confirmed cases. of Covid-19 involving aerosol. Generate procedures such as connecting a patient to a ventilator.
According to the document, there were 12 days of gloves available: 285 million compared to the estimated demand of about 23 million.
Dozens of doctors, nurses and other health workers in the UK died in the pandemic, and some of the victims’ families blame the lack of PPE for their losses.
A British Medical Association survey released Sunday suggested that nearly half of doctors had relied on PPE donated or purchased by themselves, and two-thirds still did not feel fully protected against the coronavirus.
Demand for protective aprons came close to exceeding national supplies, according to documents © Joel Goodman / LNP
The official guidance on when different types of PPE should be used underscores the importance of items for staff in the first line of coronavirus.
“A fluid resistant surgical mask (Type IIR). . . should be used whenever a health and social worker enters or is present in an inpatient area (eg, ward) that contains possible or confirmed Covid-19 cases, whether or not they are involved in direct patient care, ”indicates a Public Health England document.
“To carry out any direct patient care, disposable gloves, aprons and eye protection must be worn,” he adds.
On Sunday, Public Health England updated its guide to allow a different type of mask, an FFP2, to be used instead of an IIR mask under certain conditions. It read: “This is a pragmatic approach for times of severe shortage of respiratory protective equipment.”
