PPE For Women

Our health service is facing an unprecedented challenge. I pay tribute to the extraordinary efforts of frontline staff who are responding to the coronavirus outbreak. It is vital that all health professionals and frontline staff have access to the appropriate PPE to keep them safe.

I share concerns you raise over reports that standard PPE is not protecting female frontline workers. Women working in our NHS are putting their lives at risk to protect us from this virus. It is scandalous if they are not given the right PPE to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

According to NHS Digital figures from 2018, women make up 77% of the NHS workforce. It is vital they are provided with the equipment they need. The British Medical Association has raised concerns that PPE tends to be designed for the “size and shape of male bodies”. Additionally, the Royal College of Nursing has described “one-size-fits-all” PPE as “problematic” and “restrictive” when it can be worn for up to 12 hours during shifts. Furthermore, as you are aware, in 2017 a report published by the Trades Union Congress argued “inappropriate PPE can impact on a person’s work and their safety.”

It referred to a survey in which just 29% of women who responded said that the PPE they used was specifically designed for women. It further found 57% of women said their PPE sometimes or significantly hampered their work. A Department of Health and Social Care Spokesperson has recently said, “The safety of our staff is paramount, and we are working around the clock to ensure PPE is delivered as quickly as possible to those on the frontline.” It was further stated that “PPE is designed to be unisex and offer protection for both genders, although some products are available in different sizes to enable fit to both small and larger frames”.

I can assure you that I will continue to urge the Government to act now to keep all frontline workers safe.