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NHS leaders were not consulted or given any notice by the government before a decision to make all hospital staff wear surgical masks from 15 June, according to senior healthcare chiefs.
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said healthcare workers believe last-minute decisions are being made “on the hoof” due to political rather than public health considerations and that announcements were being made simply to “fill the space” at the Downing Street coronavirus briefings.
His intervention comes after Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said on Friday that all hospital visitors and outpatients in England would need to wear face coverings and hospital staff must use surgical masks from the middle of the month, despite the government previously saying the evidence that face masks prevented the spread of Covid-19 was inconclusive.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, Hopson said: “Two major changes on the use of personal protection equipment and on visiting policy were announced late yesterday afternoon at the end of what, to be frank, was a very busy, difficult and hard week for our trust leaders, with absolutely no notice or consultation.
www.theguardian.com
Seems to be a pattern
Councils not consulted about track and trace, schools and unions not consulted about schools reopening, workplaces and unions not consulted about workplaces opening up, Prime Minister not consulted about Cummings' jolly to Durham and awayday to Barnard Castle
I also find it worrying that last night's briefing was not attended by any scientists or health officials, just Hapless Hancock, on a day when there would have been number of questions about a lot of the new figures being released This, in addition to the ending of briefings on Saturdays and Sundays
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said healthcare workers believe last-minute decisions are being made “on the hoof” due to political rather than public health considerations and that announcements were being made simply to “fill the space” at the Downing Street coronavirus briefings.
His intervention comes after Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said on Friday that all hospital visitors and outpatients in England would need to wear face coverings and hospital staff must use surgical masks from the middle of the month, despite the government previously saying the evidence that face masks prevented the spread of Covid-19 was inconclusive.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, Hopson said: “Two major changes on the use of personal protection equipment and on visiting policy were announced late yesterday afternoon at the end of what, to be frank, was a very busy, difficult and hard week for our trust leaders, with absolutely no notice or consultation.
'In the dark': NHS chiefs were not consulted over need to wear face masks
Hospitals in England have been told staff will have to start wearing surgical masks, as will visitors, from 15 June
www.theguardian.com
Seems to be a pattern
Councils not consulted about track and trace, schools and unions not consulted about schools reopening, workplaces and unions not consulted about workplaces opening up, Prime Minister not consulted about Cummings' jolly to Durham and awayday to Barnard Castle I also find it worrying that last night's briefing was not attended by any scientists or health officials, just Hapless Hancock, on a day when there would have been number of questions about a lot of the new figures being released
This, in addition to the ending of briefings on Saturdays and Sundays 
