Health Secretary Matt Hancock insisted the UK Government desperately needs more ventilators in hospitals as the coronavirus issue is set to worsen over the next few weeks. While speaking to Sophy Ridge, Mr Hancock claimed ‘no number is too high” and the Government will buy as many ventilators as possible. He also insisted Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be speaking to manufacturers across the nation to reaffirm the importance of producing ventilators at this time.  

He said: “We have around 5,000 ventilators and we think we need many times more than that.

“We are saying that if you produce a ventilator then we will buy it.

“No number is too high.”

“We are working with companies, we have been working with them for some time, both to buy ventilators that are available but to also switch over production to ventilators and other critical equipment like personal protection equipment.

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“The ventilators are relatively complicated pieces of kit but they are not so complicated that the advanced manufacturing that this country is so good at won’t be able to turn those production lines over to making them.

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting a conference call today with the nation’s manufacturers to say very clearly to them ventilators are the thing we are going to need.

“Frankly right across the world, the demand for ventilators is incredibly high so it is not possible to produce too many.

“So anyone that can, should turn their production and their engineering minds to the production of ventilators.”

Ms Ridge then asked the Health Secretary to guarantee that all those in the UK that need a ventilator will be able to get one in the event they fall ill with the deadly virus.

Mr Hancock refused to answer directly and insisted ensuring that everyone that needs a ventilator gets one is the task at hand right now.

He said: “We need to reduce the spread of this virus and build up the capacity in the NHS at the same time.

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“It is not only the physical machines we need but we also need the trained people to use them.

“We are currently retraining doctors into the use of ventilators.

“We need more ventilators and we would not be putting out this call if this wasn’t the core piece of equipment that we need to help people through this virus.

“As Health Secretary my number one task is to protect lives and we do that by protecting the vulnerable and protecting the NHS.”

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