Healthcare professional is referred to regulator for delaying seeing a patient because of lack of PPE

A healthcare professional is facing a fitness to practise investigation for delaying attending to a COVID-19 positive patient because of inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), in what may be the first case of its kind.

The revelation came from a healthcare regulatory solicitor, Andrea James, who tweeted, “Was expecting it, but still disgusted to have received first #FitnessToPractise case arising from NHS trust disciplining healthcare professional who expressed concern about/delayed attending to a Covid+ patient without PPE (NHS Trust having failed to provide said PPE). For shame.”

Doctors and nurses reacted with outrage to the tweet, and the Medical Protection Society issued a strong statement condemning the move. But James said that her client wanted to remain anonymous and declined to identify the profession or the regulator involved. She said that the treatment in question was expected to be an aerosol generating procedure.

Rob Hendry, medical director at the Medical Protection Society (MPS), said, “It is appalling enough that healthcare professionals are placed in the position of having to choose between treating patients and keeping themselves and their other patients safe. The stress should not be compounded by the prospect of being brought before a regulatory or disciplinary tribunal.

“MPS members who are faced with regulatory or employment action arising from a decision to not see a patient due to lack of PPE can come to us for advice and representation. However, it should not come to this: healthcare workers should not be held personally accountable for decisions or adverse outcomes that are ultimately the result of poor PPE provision.”

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Source: BMJ, 12 August 2020