Coronavirus: Frontline NHS having to share the SAME face masks

The Health Secretary has today pledged to keep NHS staff ‘safe’ after frontline medics revealed they were forced the share face masks. 

Matt Hancock said protecting staff was his ‘top priority’ as he confirmed the armed forces are being drafted in to help manage and distribute supplies to frontline NHS staff battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors’ Association chairman Dr Rinesh Parmar yesterday made a direct appeal to Boris Johnson to divert more resources to hospital staff fighting to hold back a flood of cases and save lives.

Nurses working 36-hour shifts in Hillingdon Hospital – in the Prime Minister’s constituency – revealed they were forced to wash and reuse face masks as supplies fell critically low last week.

It also follows a letter in the Sunday Times from almost 4,000 NHS workers who called on the Prime Minister to ‘protect the lives of the life-savers’ and resolve the ‘unacceptable’ shortage of protective equipment.

In their letter to The Sunday Times, the 4,000-strong group said many medical workers are ‘putting their lives on the line every day’ by treating coronavirus patients without appropriate protection, and they called on Mr Johnson to ensure an adequate supply of masks, safety glasses, gloves, aprons and protective suits.