THE boss of Hertfordshire County Council has told MPs the supply of personal protection equipment for social care staff is still a "critical" issue.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be vital in protecting those staff who are working with vulnerable adults and children during the Covid-19 outbreak.

And while there are now reported to be ‘sufficient’ supplies in the county for ‘the immediate term’, it has emerged that county council chief executive  Owen Mapley had earlier warned MPs that this was not the case.

A report to be considered by a meeting of the county council’s special cabinet panel today says Mr Mapley had earlier told local MPs that supplies of PPE for staff working with vulnerable adults and children were “insufficient”.

According to the report, he had hinted that without equipment those staff might not be able to support those discharged from hospital.

Mr Mapley has since told MPs there has been some progress – pointing to a bulk delivery of supplies and donations, as well as donations from the University of Hertfordshire and schools.

He has said that there are now sufficient supplies for the ‘immediate term for non-NHS agencies’.

But he has warned MPs that ‘personal protection equipment’ remains a “critical issue”.

The concerns are due to be reported to the first meeting of the county council’s special cabinet panel today as part of an update on the council’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The report says the council will continue to provide social care workers – and the increased volunteer workforce – with the correct PPE.

And it says the council will work with the National Supply Distribution Response Team to ensure care homes, hospices and home care providers receive their share of PPE provided by the Government.

Meanwhile the report also outlines the steps the council has taken in partnership with the NHS to create additional capacity in the county’s acute hospitals.

The council has already purchased an additional 150 nursing beds to increase the capacity in nursing and care homes.

Officers are also working with local hotels as a possibility for low level needs beds.

And they are bringing two former care homes – in the east and west of the county – back in to operation.

In addition Hertfordshire County Council – with the Hertfordshire Care Providers’ Association – has set up a care provider helpdesk, website and daily email to support care homes and those providing homecare.

And in the past month the helpdesk – one of the first to be set up by a council – has taken more than 1,000 phone calls. Most calls are said to be about PPE, clarifying government guidelines or advice on supply lines.

According to Hertfordshire County Council,  the University of Hertfordshire has now delivered the first consignment of hand sanitizer that has been manufactured in their labs. The sanitiser – and other donated items of PPE – have been distributed into the social care system.