Coronavirus: More than one-third of nursing staff still feel under pressure to work without adequate PPE, survey finds

Majority of respondents say they have raised concerns about safety equipment

The Royal College of Nursing has said the survey is ‘particularly concerning’ due to fears of a second wave from Covid-19 (Getty Images)

More than one in three nurses and healthcare assistants have said they are under pressure to care for coronavirus patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), a survey has found.

The UK-wide poll of more than 5,000 nursing staff for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found 34 per cent were working without adequate PPE, including gowns which had been promised by the government.

Nearly one-quarter (23 per cent) of respondents who needed gowns said there were not enough for them to use, while a further 34 per cent were concerned about the supply for their next shift.

Meanwhile, 58 per cent of nursing staff polled said they had raised concerns about PPE, with 27 per cent saying their concerns had not been addressed.

Of the respondents who did not raise concerns, more than two-thirds said they did not think any action would be taken in their workplace if they did, while nearly one-quarter said they were worried raising the alarm would negatively impact their career or training progression.

“We continue to hear that our members are still not adequately protected,” Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive of the RCN, said.

“This is particularly concerning especially if the country faces the threat of a second wave.”

She added: “We have repeatedly raised the issue with UK governments and have heard assurances that PPE is being delivered.

“But this survey – and the direct contact I have with members – shows that is not the experience on the ground in hospitals as well as in care homes.”

Nearly one in five of staff working in high-risk environments said there were not enough respirator masks for them to use, with a further 35 per cent concerned about the supply for their next shift.

More than four in 10 were being forced to reuse single-use equipment and 32 per cent had not been adequately fit-tested for respirator masks.

The findings came after the organisation WhistleblowersUK said more than 100 medics had contacted it to report concerns about PPE shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many of those who came forward said they had been harassed or threatened with disciplinary action by NHS trust managers if they raised the issue publicly, the organisation said.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: “Whistleblowers perform a vital and courageous service in ensuring safe care, and no one should ever be prevented from speaking up or discriminated against if they do.”

Additional reporting by Press Association