Coronavirus: Doctors may have to treat patients without gowns, NHS says

New guidance comes after government admits gowns are a ‘pressure point’

Doctors and nurses may have to treat coronavirus patients without gowns due to a “global shortage” of equipment, the government has said.

Current guidance for healthcare workers has been to wear full-length waterproof surgical gowns to protect against transfer of the virus.

But following reports of a looming shortage over the weekend, the Department of Health and Social Care today said “new clinical advice has been issued” so if there are shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare workers know what alternatives are available.

Doctors and nurses have reportedly been asked to use plastic aprons as an alternative, if they have run out of gowns.

The new guidance is also likely to anger doctors’ and nursing leaders.

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The Royal College of Nursing has already warned nurses they can refuse to treat patients if they do not have proper PPE.

A Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: “We are working round the clock given the global shortage of gowns and other PPE to secure the NHS and the social care sector the equipment they need.

“New clinical advice has been issued today to make sure that if there are shortages in one area, frontline staff know what PPE to wear instead to minimise risk. This has been reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive, and is in line with WHO and CDC guidance on PPE use in exceptional circumstances.

“There is a 24 hour NHS-run helpline where NHS and social care workers can call to report shortages in supply and it is crucial the relevant guidance for protective equipment is followed closely.”

The new guidance comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock had said 55,000 gowns were arriving for the NHS today, but had been unable to say whether there would be enough over the weekend, when questioned by MPs on the Commons health and social care committee on Friday morning.

He admitted the NHS was “tight on gowns”, telling MPs they were a “pressure point” but that he did not have "a magic wand" to fix the situation.

“It's a massive undertaking. And it's understandable in a massive undertaking like that that there are complications and there are challenges, and I take responsibility for getting PPE (personal protective equipment) out to everyone,” he said.

He added: “We are working on the acquisition internationally of more gowns, but it is a challenge.”

Liberal Democrat acting leader Ed Davey said on Friday the government’s failure to guarantee supplies of PPE was putting “lives at risk”, and he raised questions over whether they were “getting a grip on the crisis”.

“For weeks we have been calling on the government to sort out the supply of PPE,” said Mr Davey.

“Yet still, despite constant reassuring messages from ministers at daily press conferences, there is an acute shortage which is putting lives at risk.”