GPs, PPE and Covid-19

A survey by medical publication Pulse has revealed that over one quarter of GPs in the UK have seen Covid-19 patients without personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gowns and eye protectors. Three quarters say they fear for their health or life.

The survey of 675 GPs was conducted between April 17 and 21 and shed light on the conditions in which GPs are having to work during the coronavirus crisis. Only 33 percent reported having received adequate facemasks, while this figures sinks to just 13 percent for eye protectors and 12% for gowns. Over half of the respondents said they feel unsafe due to this lack of PPE.

Highlighting the situation in its report, Pulse quotes Dr Tracey Turpin, a salaried GP in Durham: ‘We have no gowns, just plastic mini pinnies. My kids wear better protection for painting. We have eye goggles but only because donated by a school.’

Of the doctors surveyed, 28 percent said that they had at some point self-isolated due to their personal symptoms and at the time of writing, Pulse had recorded the deaths of six GPs with Covid-19.