Coronavirus: Safety concerns halt use of 50 million NHS masks

Fifty million face masks purchased by the federal government in April won’t be used within the NHS as a result of of security concerns.

The federal government says the masks, which use ear-loop fastenings quite than head loops, could not match tightly sufficient.

They had been purchased for healthcare employees from provider Ayanda Capital as half of a £252m contract.

Ayanda says the masks met the specs the federal government had set out. The federal government says its security requirements course of is “sturdy”.

It has emerged that the one that initially approached the federal government concerning the deal was a authorities commerce adviser who additionally advises the board of Ayanda.

However he informed the BBC his place performed no half within the awarding of the contract.

• Are NHS workers getting sufficient protecting gear?
• PPE failings recognized by Nationwide Audit Workplace

Calling for a Nationwide Audit Workplace investigation into the federal government’s “mishandling of PPE procurement”, Labour MP Rachel Reeves mentioned: “The most recent PPE scandal can’t be swept underneath the carpet.”

Within the early weeks of the pandemic the NHS skilled extreme shortages of private protecting tools (PPE).

The federal government says it needed to discover new suppliers shortly to satisfy demand and to compete with rising international competitors.

On 29 April the Division of Well being and Social Care signed the £252m contract with Ayanda Capital Restricted to produce two varieties of face masks.

The costliest half of the order consisted of 50 million FFP2 respirator masks, that are designed to guard healthcare employees from inhaling dangerous particles.

In accordance with authorized papers seen by the BBC, the federal government says these masks will no longer be used within the NHS as a result of of a security subject.

The doc says that there’s concern about whether or not they would match adequately.

To be efficient these varieties of face masks want to suit tightly to create a seal between the masks and the wearer’s face.

Anybody who wears them for work is required to bear a face match take a look at.

“The face match is both a go or a fail and there are extra fails on merchandise with ear loops than there are on merchandise with head harnesses,” says Alan Murray, chief government of the British Safety Trade Federation.

“That implies that it would not essentially present the safety that was required from it.”

It isn’t clear what’s going to occur now to the 50 million masks.

Ayanda Capital additionally provided 150 million Kind IIR masks, which the federal government says are unaffected.

Most have now been delivered however they haven’t but been launched for use within the NHS and are awaiting additional testing.

‘Staggering’ quantities spent

The data was disclosed in a authorized response to the Good Regulation Undertaking, which is looking for to problem the federal government within the courts over three PPE contracts it awarded, together with Ayanda Capital’s.

The marketing campaign group argues the federal government’s awarding of contracts on to corporations throughout the pandemic, quite than opening them to competitors, could have been illegal.

“It is taken this extraordinary sum of public funds and wasted it on PPE that it itself says can’t be launched for use within the NHS as a result of it isn’t secure,” mentioned Jolyon Maugham, the Good Regulation Undertaking’s director.

“We do assume that it is vital that the courtroom check out these contracts, that it declare them to be illegal and that there be full transparency of how these staggering quantities of public cash have been spent.”

Authorities adviser

The federal government has additionally disclosed that the unique strategy to promote the masks got here not from Ayanda Capital however from a businessman referred to as Andrew Mills.

His firm, Prospermill, had secured the rights to the total manufacturing capability of a big manufacturing facility in China to supply masks and was in a position to supply a big amount virtually instantly.

However the authorized doc seen by the BBC notes that Mr Mills requested the federal government as an alternative signal the contract for the masks with Ayanda Capital, whose board he advises, as a result of it might organize abroad fee extra shortly.

What do I must know concerning the coronavirus?

Mr Mills can also be an adviser to the UK Board of Commerce.

He informed the BBC his place performed no half within the award of the contract, which was topic to the identical analysis as all gives made in response to the federal government’s request for assist.

Ayanda Capital Restricted mentioned: “The masks provided went by a rigorous technical assurance programme and meet all the necessities of the technical specs which had been made accessible on-line by the federal government’s portal.

“There are provisions in our contract for product to be rejected if it didn’t meet the required specification as per the contract. These provisions haven’t been activated.”

A authorities assertion mentioned: “All through this international pandemic, we’ve got been working tirelessly to ship PPE to guard folks on the frontline.

“Over 2.four billion gadgets have been delivered, and greater than 30 billion have been ordered from UK-based producers and worldwide companions to offer a steady provide, which meets the wants of well being and social care workers each now and sooner or later.

“There’s a sturdy course of in place to make sure orders are of prime quality and meet strict security requirements, with the mandatory due diligence undertaken on all authorities contracts.”

The federal government beforehand revealed that some take a look at kits, produced by Randox laboratories for NHS Check and Hint, could not have met its required security requirements and suspended their use in July.

• CARE HOMES: The forgotten frontline?
• FORT SALEM: Fancy some escapism? Binge-watch the brand new sequence