Over 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey for brave frontline NHS workers are ‘Rubbish’ and cannot be used

The UK Health Minister has confirmed reports that over 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey have not been given to NHS workers because they do not meet British safety standards.

THE shipment of personal protective equipment was flown to the UK by the RAF last month but is now being stored in a government warehouse in Oxfordshire. It is not clear yet if the government will seek a refund from the suppliers.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said it was working “night and day to source PPE” and wished to remind everyone that were shortages of PPE around the world, not just in the UK.

During the past few months as the UK has tackled the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare workers including doctors and nurses have complained of a lack of adequate kit such as gowns, masks and gloves.

PPE is essential for protecting front-line workers exposed to Covid-19, and without it workers are concerned they could catch or spread the virus.

Amid a row over the procurement of PPE in April, the government announced it had managed to source a large supply from Turkey. But now the government has confirmed that all 400,000 surgical gowns that were delivered were unusable because they did not meet the required criteria.