After weeks of criticism that personal protection equipment isn’t reaching front line health and care workers, Matt Hancock today launched a ‘PPE plan’ to ensure that gloves, face masks and so on reach hospitals and care homes as quickly as possible. But alongside it, he also issued a curious warning: don’t use equipment you don’t need. Hosting the Downing Street coronavirus briefing this evening, the Health Secretary said:
‘There’s enough PPE to go around, but only if it’s used in line with our guidance. We need everyone to treat PPE like the precious resource that it is. That means only using it when there’s a clinical need, and not using more than is needed.’
This is in many ways a statement of the obvious, but it’s interesting that Hancock felt the need to make it in a public press conference, rather than in the guidance issued to healthcare professionals as part of today’s plan.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in