South Yorkshire NHS staff call for stronger PPE on the Covid frontline
Unions want all frontline staff to wear high grade masks
We're told some frontline NHS staff in South Yorkshire feel "scared" and "vulnerable" because their PPE isn't strong enough.
The British Medical Association and other unions want guidance on masks to be strengthened so all frontline staff get a high grade mask called an FFP3.
At the moment only ICU staff and those who carry out certain procedures get one.
Emma's a nurse in Sheffield - we've changed her name to protect her identity.
She says it's even more important now there's a more transmissible variant of the virus:
"We're scared, frightened. We feel quite vulnerable. There is a bit of anger as well. We just want to do the best for our patients."
"As a nurse I want to be able to do my job to the best of my ability. I want to keep patients safe and see that the staff are protected too. It makes us feel worried - we can see that in healthcare, workers are between 3 and 4 times more likely to contract Covid so obviously the atmosphere is very tense. We're very scared."
A petition to change the guidance has got more than 3,000 signatures.
Emma says it's really needed:
"There are over 40,000 staff off within the NHS at the moment with Covid and Covid related illness. That's putting a huge pressure on an already strained NHS. We feel that if the guidance changed it would help reduce the risk of transmission and protect the public as well.
"We're listening to the scientific guidance that's out there, that's been published by trusted journals and prominent readers. And we're urging Public Health England to upgrade their level of guidance for PPE for healthcare workers."
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England said:
“NHS staff are under immense pressures and their safety has always been our highest priority.
“The NHS Infection Prevention Control group has reviewed the latest evidence and has advised that PPE should continue to be worn as laid out in the current IPC guidance, with FFP3 masks required for staff undertaking clinical aerosol generating procedures. This is supported by WHO.
“Emerging evidence and data on variant strains and transmission will be continually monitored and reviewed.”