Hospitals Accused of Hoarding PPE as Military Criticised NHS’s ‘Appalling’ Distribution Network

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 24: Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after member
Leon Neal/Getty Images
Victoria Friedman

A senior official at NHS Supply Chain has accused some National Health Service trusts of hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE). Meanwhile, military sources have condemned the socialised health service’s “appalling” distribution network.

Speaking to customers of the organisation that acquires materials for the NHS, Rachel Repper said that some trusts failing to return delivery cages “indicates that there is stockpiling going on locally because that is where product is being held… within hospital estates”.

Ms Repper said that the unusually-high demand for disinfecting wipes — beyond the number that current consumption modelling suggested is required —  also pointed to hoarding, according to her comments reported in The Times.

The claim comes against a backdrop of criticism against the Conservative government for not securing enough PPE for NHS hospitals, with the NHS even asking the government to consider carefully before recommending face masks for the public whether their own supplies “at risk”.

Health professionals reacted angrily when this month health secretary Matt Hancock suggested that medics were wasting PPE and that it needed to be more carefully rationed.

Meanwhile, a senior army source told The Times that military personnel had criticised NHS for its “appalling” PPE distribution networks, saying that as a result, some hospitals have an oversupply while others are suffering a shortage.

The British military’s logistics branch of the COVID Support Force has been working with the NHS to deliver protective equipment like masks and gowns to hospitals. Earlier this month, its engineers and medics re-fitted the ExCeL Centre in London as the first NHS Nightingale field hospital which can handle up to 4,000 overflow coronavirus patients from other London hospitals.

“We know how knackered their [NHS logistics] systems are, but we’ve been surprised we’ve not been called in to help more, and we’ve been surprised by their failure to ration [kit],” the source told the newspaper of record.

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that the government had missed out on the opportunity to procure 16 million masks for NHS workers in the last four weeks, with complaints that delays in the State’s procurement process had meant private companies’ offers of support had been ignored.

While Adam Mansell of the Fashion and Textile Association said that discussions between large manufactures and the government on making medical gowns for NHS staff had only taken place in the last two weeks.

“We have started probably four weeks later than we should have,” the association’s chief said.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has become dependant upon shipments of PPE from tyrant nations Turkey and China.

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