Top surgeons have warned thousands of people will die of Covid-19 if Britain’s strict lockdown is lifted at this stage.
The Royal College of Surgeons has warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson against using the NHS as ‘an economic punchbag’ as he works on his plan to return Britain to normality.
The RCS said the lockdown cannot be loosened at this stage because not enough healthcare staff are being tested and there is insufficient PPE available for frontline medics.
The Royal College of Surgeons has warned that one third of members do not have appropriate PPE while others complain of a lack of access to Covid-19 tests
Prof Neil Mortensen of the Royal College of Surgeons, pictured, warned that Covid-19 has not been defeated
Professor Neil Mortensen, president-elect of the RCS told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Just because the NHS has not been overwhelmed so far, it does not mean the government can use the health service as its economic punchbag. It has been a close-run thing, and to use Boris Johnson’s own words “we have begun to wrestle it to the floor”, but the virus is certainly not yet defeated.’
A survey by the RCS has revealed one third of surgeons do not have appropriate PPE and eight out of ten members claimed only staff with ‘obvious’ coronavirus symptoms were being tested for the killer virus.
One surgeon from the West Midlands warned: ‘There is now a push towards Covid-19 free surgical areas to recommence semi-elective work. However, it seems that patients are being tested but not staff. Asymptomatic carriers may indeed be the elephant in the room — staff would surely need testing and isolating also.’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson described Covid-19 like ‘an invisible mugger’ after returning to Number 10 following his recovery from coronavirus
Speaking from outside Downing Street after returning to work this week, Mr Johnson said: ‘If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger – which I can tell you from personal experience, it is – then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor.
‘And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage, it is also the moment of maximum risk.
‘I know there will be many people looking at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures.’
He said he understood ‘how hard and stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms’.
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has launched a ‘serious incident investigation’ following the Covid-19 death of Dr Peter Tun who warned managers about the shortage of PPE in his unit
But he said the potential of a second spike in cases risked ‘economic disaster’.
Mr Johnson added: ‘And so I know it is tough. And I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS.’
Meanwhile, an NHS trust has launched ‘a serious incident investigation’ after one of its consultants who warned management about critical shortages of PPE died of Covid-19.
Dr Peter Tun, 62, requested access to more personal protective equipment (PPE) numerous times, but contracted the virus and died on April 13, according to the Guardian.
The paper said Dr Tun sent emails to managers at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on March 23 but was told that, as his ward had no confirmed cases of Covid-19, it was not a priority.
He was told his team could not even have surgical masks and that resources needed to be used ‘sensibly’, despite the fact that two members of his team were self-isolating at the time.
A Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: ‘We can confirm a serious incident investigation has been launched.
‘It involves senior managers and clinicians, who are working closely with Dr Tun’s family to look at their concerns and answer their questions.
‘Whilst this is ongoing, we are unable to say any more.’
In one email, published by the Guardian, Dr Tun said: ‘We do not have any basic surgical masks for Caversham ward neuro-rehab medical team. The ward stock has been taken by ICU (intensive care) … we do not have eye protection kits, gowns nor scrubs.’
A manager responded: ‘These supplies are not widely available and need to be used sensibly … This is the Trust position at the moment and I do not have any powers to influence this.’
The government revealed new data showing the numbers of deaths inside and away from hospitals for the first time – but the seven-day average of deaths is falling