Sturgeon accepts assurances PPE suppliers aren't prioritising England

The First Minister has accepted assurances from the UK Government that suppliers of personal protective equipment are not being told to prioritise the NHS in England over other parts of the UK.

Nicola Sturgeon said it would be “unconscionable and unacceptable” for PPE to be diverted from one part of the UK to another.

It’s after reports suppliers had been instructed to only send safety equipment to England.

In a call with the devolved administrations on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock promised the UK Government has not ordered that England be prioritised.

Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman subsequently welcomed the assurance and urged Mr Hancock to resolve any misunderstanding with companies supplying PPE.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said she was “willing to accept that assurance” but supply needs to be fair across the UK and also between the NHS and care sector.

She said: “There was a concern raised by the care home sector in Scotland that some of the usual suppliers of PPE were telling them that they couldn't supply normally right now because they had been told that they had to prioritise the NHS in England.

“Now, that was obviously a concern for us. We've had assurances from the UK Government that that is not an instruction that's been given from the NHS in England or Public Health England and I am willing to accept that assurance.

“But we still have an issue to try to resolve with the companies to make sure that they are dealing fairly with providers of care north and south of the border but also dealing fairly between the NHS and social care because we all understand the importance of our health care workers but social care workers are on the front line of this as well.”

She added: “PPE is under real pressure globally right now and we're all working hard to try to make sure that there are sufficient supplies, firstly, and that then those supplies are getting when they need to be so this is just about ensuring fairness for everybody health and social care and in all parts of the UK.

“I hope that we can see that collaborative approach continue because, in the main, we've all been working across all of these issues really collaboratively and cooperatively up until now.”

Scotland's Health Secretary Jeane Freeman also addressed the issue at the daily coronavirus briefing on Wednesday.

She said: “Yesterday, the concern raised by Scottish Care was the orders which were due to be delivered in Scotland had been diverted elsewhere.

“Later on yesterday, Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock assured me that no matter what was happening it was not at the direction of the NHS in England, Public Health England or his own department.”

She also mentioned Gompels, a provider of PPE whose website said certain items could not be delivered to Scotland.

Ms Freeman said it had been asked to distribute pandemic stock by health authorities in England.

She said: “We have our own pandemic stock here in Scotland, our national procurement organisation NSS holds that, it distributes that.

“So, we're still trying to be absolutely sure that we've got to the bottom of this, that we can provide a reassurance to the members of Scottish Care that their normal PPE providers and suppliers will continue to take their orders and supply them.”

She said the Scottish stockpile would provide “top-up” PPE to individual care homes given the greater demand.