An order of around 400,000 surgical gowns ordered by the British government from Turkey in mid-April was never distributed among National Health Service workers because it did not meet safety standards.
“If equipment does not meet our specifications or pass our quality assurance processes it is not distributed to the front line,” a spokesperson for Britain’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told CNN on Thursday, when asked if the shipment in question had failed to meet safety standards.
“All deliveries of PPE (personal protective equipment) are checked to ensure the equipment meets the safety and quality standards our frontline staff need.”
The British government announced it had secured a delivery of PPE from Turkey, which the UK’s Royal Air Force flew into the country on April 22. The shipment came amid warnings that NHS Trusts risked running out of surgical gowns.
“This is a global pandemic with many countries procuring PPE, leading to shortages around the world, not just the UK,” the DHSC spokesperson said.
“We are working night and day to source PPE internationally and domestically and brought together the NHS, industry and the armed forces to create a comprehensive PPE distribution network to deliver critical supplies to the front line.”
The spokesperson declined to comment if the UK would seek a refund for the shipment in question.
