Staff testing very much welcomed, but concerns remain about capacity and details

The deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

"Trust leaders have very much welcomed the introduction of staff testing and this has already got going.

"Trust leaders now need to be assured that there is enough capacity in the system to test every member of staff who needs it and these tests can be processed as quickly as possible.

"Staff absence is already having a huge impact across the NHS and being able to get a clear picture on which members of staff can safely return to the frontline is a priority.

"Trust leaders need as much detail as possible as quickly as possible on how fast staff testing will ramp up so they know when current workforce gaps can start being filled"

Clarity needed on supply of ventilation equipment

The chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson said:

"It is clear that the number of ventilators needed to manage the outbreak needs to significantly increase to ensure that the most critically ill patients receive the care they need.

"The central NHS team and trusts are working incredibly hard with Government to boost supplies of both mechanical and non invasive ventilators.

"These are being sourced from a number of different places including existing manufacturers, the international market and the private sector. There are also a number of manufacturers from other sectors that have come forward to produce this additional equipment for the NHS.

"But we mustn’t ignore the time dimension here – extra capacity will take time to deliver.

"We are in a marathon, not a sprint, and the extra capacity will arrive later in the race, so we know there will be pressure over the next few weeks.

"National leaders tell us that there will be sufficient capacity but there can obviously be no guarantees that there won’t be gaps in certain places at certain points.

"If those gaps occur trust leaders know that their role is to do the best they can with the resources they already have.

"It would be helpful if national NHS leaders and the Government shared more of the detail on how they see ventilator capacity growing, what the constraints for the immediate next few weeks are likely to be and how these constraints will be managed."

Widespread support for NHS in tackling COVID-19

Deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said:

"The response from recently retired healthcare professionals offering to return to the NHS has been extraordinary. This has given all existing NHS staff a massive boost knowing that up to 20,000 additional staff will be coming back into the service to work alongside them.

"Student nurses, doctors and allied health professionals are also boosting the frontline and joining the workforce earlier than planned.

"We've also heard from trust leaders about how staff are moving across from surgical and medical teams and undertaking urgent training and refresher courses to ensure they have the right skills to care for patients with COVID-19. They are also taking part in new shift patterns.

"More than 750,000 people have now volunteered to provide additional support.

"It is really heartening to see such an amazing response and the country coming together to support the NHS frontline."