Nurses should refuse to treat coronavirus patients “as a last resort” if they are not given adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), according to new guidance.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) issued the advice to its members in a bid to prevent more frontline deaths following criticism of the government about the supply of protective gear for NHS staff.

Ministers have been accused of being too slow to deliver the equipment, putting health workers at risk and meaning those treating patients with COVID-19 could pass on the virus.

At least 19 NHS workers are known to have died after contracting coronavirus.

The RCN’s new guidance states that if sufficient PPE cannot be supplied and treatment cannot be delayed or carried out in another format, nurses should decline to work.

A spokesman for the union said: “For nursing staff, this will go against every instinct. But their safety must not be compromised.”

The RCN said it would provide legal assistance to those making what it acknowledged was an “enormously difficult decision”.

It also warned nurses that they could face criminal prosecution for corporate manslaughter in “very rare” cases for walking away.

The RCN issued a seven-point safety plan for nurses to follow, with step six saying: “Ultimately, if you have exhausted all other measures to reduce the risk and you have not been given appropriate PPE in line with the UK Infection Prevention and Control guidance, you are entitled to refuse to work.

“This will be a last resort and the RCN recognises what a difficult step this would be for nursing staff.”

The RCN recommends those choosing to withdraw care should keep written justifications of their decisions and told nurses to brace for attempts to sack them, claims of clinical negligence, and possibly facing criticism at inquests or even criminal charges.

Source: Read Full Article