Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith has today supported Labour’s calls for the government to ensure all frontline NHS and care staff are provided with the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Labour leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth have called for urgent action from government, following reports that many health and social care staff are working without the proper protections, or do not have enough PPE to properly protect themselves and others.

Jeff said:

“In Manchester Withington and across the country, there are staff in hospitals and care homes working flat out to protect the most vulnerable in our communities during this pandemic.

It is not acceptable that there are still many health professionals who do not have access to adequate PPE. Our NHS and care staff deserve effective protective clothing and equipment to enable them to feel as though they can carry out their jobs safely.

Last week, I spoke with managers at the care homes in our constituency, and heard first hand that some are finding real difficulty in accessing the right PPE and hand sanitiser, as well as testing to protect their staff and residents from the outbreak. I’ve fed those concerns in to try and get extra support.

The government should ensure every hospital and care home in the country are issued with the adequate equipment as a matter of urgency.