Coronavirus UK: The family of an NHS nurse who died say he ‘would still be alive if given proper protective equipment’

THE family of an NHS nurse that contracted Covid-19 whilst treating patients has said he would still be alive today if he had been given the proper protective equipment.

Thomas Harvey, 57, a healthcare assistant at North East London NHS Foundation Trust, had been unable to eat for several days and struggled to breathe after catching Covid-19, his family said. Mr Harvey, died on Sunday after collapsing in the bathroom of his east London home.

Daughter Tamira and son Thomas Jr believe their father was let down after claiming he was not given proper personal protective equipment (PPE). “He was never even tested and we haven’t been either,” Tamira said.

The father-of-seven contracted the virus after treating a patient with the disease on his ward, according to a Go Fund Me page which raised more than £13,000 for his family.

“[The government] knew the severity [of the virus] before anyone else did. They could have prevented this in so many ways.”