• More than 20 healthcare organisations, including British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing, are calling for stricter UK guidelines to be introduced on face masks and other personal protective equipment.
• They will meet virtually with officials to discuss current rules, which they argue leaves them vulnerable to infection through the air.

Commenting on pressures for health care workers to wear FFP3 masks, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

"The safety of staff is an absolute priority for trust leaders. They are led in this area by the expert clinical advice which informs the guidance.

"In settings such as ambulances, ventilation systems are fitted as standard to regularly change the internal air, which plays an important role in infection prevention.

"However, we know that infection prevention has been a topic of anxiety for staff in the pandemic, and it is right that those responsible for the guidance are open to concerns raised by staff.

"The most recent guidance has not changed in terms of how personal protective equipment should be used, but it does clarify some of the infection control procedures for trusts, which is helpful and welcome."