UK doctors "thrown to the wolves" as protective gear runs low

Long-sleeved disposable gowns and goggles are in low supply for NHS staff working at some of the most at-risk hospitals in the U.K., a report by the association said. In a survey of 6,000 respondents, two-thirds said they faced shortages or no eye protection at all, and nearly half said they felt pressure often or sometimes to work without adequate protection.

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Doctors told the association that they were being “thrown to the wolves” and should not be forced to choose between continuing working or keeping themselves and their family safe. The snapshot survey comes after reports that several NHS staff have lost their lives to the virus.

“Two months into the COVID-19 crisis in Britain, we shouldn’t still be hearing that doctors feel unprotected when they go to work,” BMA Council Chair Chaand Nagpaul said in a statement Saturday. “We renew our call for the Government to work with manufacturers to ramp up domestic supply. Too many doctors and healthcare staff have already lost their lives. We cannot afford to risk losing any more.”

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