The Coronavirus is the
biggest threat this country has faced in decades – and this country is not
alone. All over the world we are seeing the devastating impact of this
invisible killer. Which is why the Government is working to a
scientifically-led, step-by-step action plan – taking the right measures at the
right time.
NHS staff, care workers
and other medical professionals are on the frontline in the fight against
coronavirus, and I am in awe of their dedication, skill and professionalism.
Let me assure you that ministers are doing everything they can to ensure the
NHS and care workers has the equipment and resources they need to get our
country through this crisis.
The Government has now
brought together the NHS, industry and the Armed Forces to create a nationwide
PPE distribution network, almost from scratch. This is working to deliver
critical PPE supplies to every single hospital trust every 72 hours and soon
daily.
Priority drops of tens
of millions of items of PPE to Local Resilience Forums have also been arranged.
The LRFs are prioritising delivery to key frontline workers according to local
need.
In the coming weeks, the
Government will be scaling up our PPE delivery system even further, including a
new website allowing the system to order PPE from a central inventory. This
will mean we can track demand in real time so we deliver according to need.
This is in addition to a
24-hour helpline that already allows providers to request emergency drops of
PPE to meet immediate need.
All of this will help us
deliver the Government's plan to ensure PPE gets to where it is needed most: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-plan-for-national-effort-on-ppe
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To date, over 761
million pieces of PPE delivered across the UK Full, 24/7 military operation
underway to manage supply and demand right across the UK New domestic PPE
manufacturing effort with ...
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The Government is not
underestimating the size of this challenge, but the Prime Minister has said he
will do everything in his power to keep healthcare workers safe as they care
for the rest of society. We know there is more to do in this area, and the full
weight of the Government is working to deliver that as quickly as possible.
In dealing with this
unprecedented challenge, what everyone must recognise is that our NHS – like
any health service around the world – only has a limited number of doctors,
nurses, and specialist equipment. This means it can only deal with so many sick
people at once.
The more people that get
sick with Coronavirus at any one time the harder it is for the NHS to cope –
meaning more people are likely to die from the Coronavirus, as well as other
serious illnesses. Therefore, if we can slow the spread of Coronavirus so fewer
people are sick at any one time, we can protect the NHS’s ability to cope.
That’s why, in addition
to improving the capacity of the NHS, the Government is asking everyone to stay
at home and stay safe. It is simply the best weapon we have to slow the spread
of the virus. That way we can protect the NHS and save lives.
