Local resilience forums (LRF) continue to warn the Government about personal protective equipment (PPE) as the coronavirus lockdown is relaxed.
As of last week, seven LRFs – London, Northumbria, Thames Valley, Avon Somerset, Warwickshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire – were still rating PPE at the most serious red level, meaning it was having a ‘significant impact'.
The Government has said this rating should be used where there are ‘major issues' and ‘substantial government escalation/national support is needed'.
Not a single LRF was rating PPE as the least serious green – meaning the issue was having no or low impact.
A report to a meeting of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board this week read: ‘Shortages and quality of appropriate PPE has persisted as a significant problem for council staff and for local social care providers.
'The promised national supply arrangements have not materialised for social care and councils are still reliant on what started as emergency drops to LRFs, with many councils still reporting supplies well short of what is needed.'
A daily summary put together by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on May 29 – the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the Government would allow up to six people to meet outside – read: ‘There continues to be a national limited supply of certain PPE items (FFP3 masks, gowns, eye protection, IIR mask, aprons, gloves and hand hygiene products) which is being addressed at pace by DHSC.'
But announcing he was adjusting the lockdown the day before, Mr Johnson insisted that the test for PPE that challenges were ‘in hand, with supply able to meet future demand' was ‘being met'.
Ministers have described attempts to get PPE to the frontline as a ‘battle' but have suggested that a change in the mentality and approach to solving the problem has helped.
Director of PPE policy at the Department of Health and Social Care, Una Bennett, said an increase in global demand had put the supply chain under ‘significant pressure' but more than 100 million items have now been distributed via LRFS.
A DHSC spokeswoman said: 'Over the last month we've released over 124 milion items of PPE to LRFs to help them respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult social care system and other vital frontline services.
'We collect data on local PPE stocks so we know how much is required across the system and can deliver stock to any settings in need.'
