HEREFORDSHIRE Council leaders have blasted central government’s work to provide personal protective equipment as ‘a hopeless muddle’.

The council’s chief executive Alistair Neill highlighted in a report to cabinet on the local response to the coronavirus epidemic.

The report says that statements by ministers suggesting PPE supplies were meeting the needs of local government were wide of the mark and that the government announcements have been extremely unreliable.

The council took an early decision not to rely entirely on central supply lines of PPE to help cope with the extra demand – the local authority needs some 18,000 facemasks per day.

“Repeated statements from ministers over a period of weeks that PPE supplies are meeting the needs of local government have been, unfortunately, wide of the mark,” he said.

“They have caused three avoidable problems: the actual lack of physical stock of PPE; the perception that government was doing what was required so the problem of supply must be at the local level; and critically – local government potentially being delayed in its own efforts to secure its own supplies as it anticipated announced supply from central government.

“At best this aspect of central government work has been poorly co-ordinated; at worst, it has been a hopeless muddle.”

Mr Neill’s report says the council sourced PPE from three different supply routes so as not to wholly depend on any single source.

“This is particularly important as the volume of PPE required by Herefordshire Council is very substantial: for example, over 18,000 facemasks per day,” he said.

“With gloves, aprons and goggles required in balance, these volumes have become a major new requirement for Herefordshire Council not only to physically secure and plan for, but also to budget for. The additional cost of facemasks alone, hitherto an unplanned for cost, is projected to exceed £300,000 per month.

“The council is now developing forward plans for PPE to be part of our core work for as long as PPE is required – and this may be as long as 18 months.

“It is important to note that whilst the council has gone to extraordinary lengths to secure PPE, supplies are finite, whilst demand is enormous. In that state, councils – and this could include Herefordshire Council – do face the real risk of running out of PPE stock.

“Overall, Herefordshire Council has maintained provision of PPE to key front-line staff whilst also supporting care home staff. However this has been challenging.”

The UK government has been approached for comment.