Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has signed a letter to Matt Hancock urging him to take action regarding the lack of PPE for care workers during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was co-ordinated by Jarrow MP Kate Osborne was signed by 59 Members of Parliament.
It asks Matt Hancock to:
- Contact every local authority and ask about the current stock levels of PPE and provide provision where needed
- Ensure that all care workers have access to the correct level of PPE that they need to do their job safely without putting themselves or residents at risk.
- Change the Government’s official guidance from care workers only needing to wear PPE when there are cases in a care home to all care workers needing to wear PPE when at work even if there aren’t any confirmed cases.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“Our care workers have too often been forgotten in the conversation around the Coronavirus outbreak.
“They are doing an incredibly important and difficult job, and the lack of appropriate PPE is making it a dangerous job in some cases too.
“The Government needs to everything it can to protect care workers and to make care homes safer places.”