Hundreds of ventilators the UK government bought from China to relieve a major shortage are the wrong type and could kill patients, senior doctors have warned in a newly uncovered letter.
The medical staff behind the letter say the devices were designed for use in ambulances rather than hospitals, had an "unreliable" oxygen supply and were of "basic" quality.
Seen by Sky News' partner organisation NBC, the document also claims the ventilators cannot be cleaned properly, are an unfamiliar design and come with a confusing instruction manual.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove triumphantly announced the arrival of "300 ventilators from China" to help treat COVID-19 patients on 4 April. But the letter of warning from doctors was issued just nine days later.
"We believe that if used, significant patient harm, including death, is likely," it says.
Source: Sky News, 30 April 2020
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