Prevent loss of life by providing all NHS staff with WHO standard personal protective equipment

The European respiratory journal

Hero, Isabelle.

Introduction

As a retired consultant histopathologist with 40 years’ experience of working in the NHS, I am appalled that NHS staff are not being provided with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE that meets the standard set out by the World Health Organization is still today, 27 March 2020, not reaching many wards and clinics.1 2 All NHS staff need to be protected. All hospital departments, general practices, ambulances, and care homes need adequate PPE. We must prevent what happened in Italy.3-5 In the UK, six doctors and nurses are already fighting for their lives on ventilators, and one surgeon and a GP have already died from covid-19.6-10 And the battle has only just started. Please prevent the loss of numerous precious NHS staff through lack of PPE of WHO standard.

Keywords

Epidemiology