CANNON FODDER
Top NHS doctor warns frontline staff battling coronavirus are ‘lambs to the slaughter’
A LEADING NHS doctor has warned frontline medical staff dealing with Britain’s coronavirus outbreak feel like “cannon fodder” and "lambs to the slaughter".
Dr Rinesh Parmar, chairman of the Doctor's Association UK, is battling the disease on an intensive care ward at a city hospital in Birmingham.
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The Anaesthetic Registrar begged Boris Johnson to provide better Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), describing the current crisis the "calm before the storm"
Doctors and nurses fear a lack of masks, gloves, aprons and protective suits is putting them at risk as they care for patients diagnosed with Covid-19.
Speaking after a night shift on the ward, Dr Parmar told The BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We have had doctors tell us they feel like lambs to the slaughter, that they feel like cannon fodder.
"GPs tell us that they feel absolutely abandoned.
NHS PLEA
"We must really stress to the prime minister that we need to protect the front line here.
"They are all pleading with Boris Johnson that they really urgently look into arranging the vital personal protection equipment that all of us need on the NHS front line."
On Friday, it was revealed that NHS staff at one London hospital were wearing plastic bin bags to protect themselves from the deadly bug.
A nurse at Northwick Park Hospital who did not want to be named, pleaded for masks, gowns and gloves as she told how staff have been forced to wear clinical waste bags on their feet and heads for protection.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick insisted the government is working "round the clock" to get NHS staff the right equipment.
Jason Leitch, the national clinical director of healthcare quality and strategy, said the situation would improve "in the next few days".
But he admitted it was "challenging", as the health service tries to get protective equipment out to more people than normal.
Today, Britain's coronavirus death toll rose again to 240 after seven more patients died in Wales.
It takes the number of Welsh killed by the virus to 12, and with 71 more people testing positive there now the UK has 5,089 cases to tackle.
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It was revealed yesterday a 41-year-old died after contracting the disease, becoming the UK’s youngest victim.
In the biggest 24-hour leap yet, 56 new deaths were recorded for the whole of the country yesterday.
It comes after Boris Johnson said without “drastic action” cases will double every five to six days.
Yesterday’s figure of 233 means the death toll in the UK quadrupled in the five days since the PM’s grim warning.
There had been 55 coronavirus fatalities on March 16 when Boris first spoke to the nation in a No10 daily briefing.
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Coronavirus cases for the UK have soared to 5,089, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Health.
It comes as letters to around 1.5million of Britain’s most vulnerable have been sent out by the government – telling them to stay at home to save their lives.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed this morning thousands at risk of not recovering from coronavirus have officially been told to stay in for 12 weeks.
