Health chiefs say Forth Valley has enough PPE for staff

As rows have erupted nationally about a lack of PPE for frontline NHS staff, Forth Valley NHS medical director, Andrew Murray, says there were initial problems but he is confident that their staff now have enough for those who need them.Mr Murray said: “There was a lot of anxiety about PPE. The key thing is that our staff have the right protection for whatever the role is that they are carrying out.“There were a few teething problems originally but the supply chain now is very robust and over the last few days we’ve been getting all the right PPE into the right places.”He said they were now beginning to get supplies to social care staff and GP surgeries too.“We’re in a much better place than we were a few weeks ago.”Dr Graham Foster, director of public health in NHS Forth Valley, also had some reassurance for carers either working in care homes or going into the homes of vulnerable people.Many have spoken out, saying they are scared to do their jobs and feel vulnerable because of a lack of equipment.One care worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We are really scared. You can’t do social distancing when you are caring for someone – it’s not possible. We have people coughing in our faces and some of our clients are really vulnerable.”Falkirk Council says that it has supplies of PPE equipment and that infection control procedures are being followed.But Dr Foster said they should be reassured that at this point in time they don’t need masks unless any client starts to show symptoms of COVID-19.He said: “I think what we’re seeing is people who would like to put on a mask and a visor for every patient that they see but that simply isn’t necessary at the moment.“It isn’t necessary or appropriate – it would be scary for the clients and it doesn’t really help.“Actually, if someone is putting on and taking PPE off every day, you’re actually more at risk of catching something.”Dr Foster stressed that they were closely following advice from the World Health Organisation and national guidelines.That means at the moment care workers are advised to wear a mask when they are working with someone who has symptoms of Covid-19.But, he stressed, that might well change as the pandemic takes hold.He said: “At this point in time the chances of someone having Covid in the community is very small. If we thought there was lots of Covid-19 cases, we would change that advice. “That may change, it probably will change as the weeks go on, and as go on into the pandemic there’s a chance that more and more people in the community will have it.”He and Mr Murray stressed that it was vital that valuable stocks of PPE be used carefully so there would be plenty available if the virus really begins to take hold.