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PM must intervene to ensure enough protective equipment for nurses, RCN urges

Press Release 23/03/2020

PM must intervene to ensure enough protective equipment for nurses, RCN urges

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has today written to the Prime Minister to ask that he personally intervene to ensure all nursing staff treating patients in the Covid-19 pandemic have access to sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).  

The letter also calls on the PM to intervene to increase the number of tests for the virus for nurses, so that staff with possible symptoms of Covid-19 know whether they are infected or not. 

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN Chief Executive and General Secretary, writes:

“Our members have been unstinting in their dedication and professionalism to protecting the health and wellbeing of United Kingdom – they must be supported by the Government and health sector in return.

“Our members are coming out of retirement, students are interrupting their studies, and nursing staff are deploying from non-clinical settings, all to support the front-line in the battle against Covid-19.

“We ask you to personally intervene and act to ensure enough supply of PPE and testing for Covid-19 is available for all nursing staff and our colleagues across the health and care system”.

Ends

Press office contacts

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07891 109 146

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020 7647 3696

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0207 647 3459

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0207 647 3862

Out of hours duty press officer

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