Nursing staff still under pressure to work without PPE

More than a third of nursing staff have said that they are still under pressure to care for patients with possible or confirmed coronavirus without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Recent polling shows that 23 per cent of respondents to the Royal College of Nursing’s latest member survey on PPE who need gowns said there weren’t enough to use, despite promised deliveries. A further 34 per cent said they were concerned about the supply of gowns for their next shift.

The RCN also stresses that 58 per cent of respondents said they’d raised concerns about PPE with 27 per cent of those saying their concerns had not been addressed.

Of those working in the highest risk environments, one in five said there were not enough respirator masks for them to use, with a further 35 per cent concerned about the supply for their next shift, and nearly half of nurses are still being asked to reuse single use equipment .

Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN chief executive, said: “We continue to hear that our members are still not adequately protected. This is particularly concerning, especially if the country faces the threat of a second wave of COVID-19 cases. We have repeatedly raised the issue with UK governments and have heard assurances that PPE is being delivered. But this survey – and the direct contact I have with members – shows this is not the experience on the ground in hospitals as well as in care homes.”