Responding to reports in the Health Service Journal that plans are in place to deliver 30 million pieces of personal protective equipment to social care providers, Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care said: “Many social care staff, who are on the frontline of this crisis, will feel a huge sense of relief at the prospect of finally receiving personal protective equipment.
“However, the suggestion from Ministers that supplies should be prioritised for those who currently have “close unavoidable contact with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases” is like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. We should be doing everything possible to stop transmission of the virus into care settings in the first place, as well as onward transmission when a patient already has the virus.
“Government must also lay out exactly how Local Resilience Forums will guarantee delivery to all care providers in their area. At the moment, some care providers are excluded from local delivery networks, leaving them on their own when it comes to sourcing PPE, often at significantly inflated prices.
“The protection of all care staff, regardless of setting, must be an absolute priority.”