Coronavirus: BAME nursing staff ‘find it harder to access PPE’ than white counterparts

‘We look forward to getting more answers from Public Health England’s investigation,’ says head of nursing union

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) nurses in the UK are more likely to have problems accessing vital personal protective equipment (PPE), a new survey shows.

Twice as many BAME members of nursing staff said there did not have enough surgical masks, disposable plastic aprons and disposable gloves than their white British counterparts, according to a survey of more than 5,000 workers by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). About 700 of those were from a BAME background.

The nursing union said there had been some improvement in the supply of PPE since April, but that there was a “deeply worrying” disparity in kit provision between staff of different backgrounds.