Doctors told not to talk about protective equipment shortages, confirms doctor
31 March 2020, 20:46
"Doctors are being told not to talk about PPE shortages"
Dr Bharat Pankhania told LBC he's been contacted by many NHS workers who cannot get access to protective equipment and have been ordered not to tell anyone.
Dr Bharat Pankhania said he has received many messages on social media: "People are looking for people they can talk to and that is really upsetting.
"The fact that they're looking, then they find me, then they're writing to me and saying we're desperate, and I've had calls from north of England, west of England, east of England, south of England...everywhere.
"And they are saying we have been given substandard PPE or we've been given no PPE or we've been asked to share.
"Or we've been asked to downgrade what would be a procedure requiring a PPE to say actually you don't need it. They're making up that you don't need it when you do.
Health care from all over the country calling me to say, they lack adequate PPE. Their own guidelines are being watered down to make them accept lower standard gear & infection protection. There is a shortage of PPE and what must not happen is watering down of guidelines too. pic.twitter.com/1gN8AYk3rb
— Dr Bharat Pankhania (@Doctorshaib) March 31, 2020
"Despite clear assurances that has been delivered, these are people calling me and saying I haven't got it."
Eddie asked if Dr Bharat has heard health professionals saying "we've been told not to talk about this."
"Absolutely, these guys have been looking for me and asked if I would talk about it and mention it somewhere," he said.
Dr Bharat pointed out he's an independent doctor and happy to take this forward as much as he can but "I am nobody."
Eddie kindly reminded Dr Bharat that he's not nobody due to his hard work on LBC answering many questions about the pandemic.
NHS England have been contacted for comment.
