A nurse at Northwick Park Hospital has opened up about having to wear a plastic bag for protection and having a mask confiscated from her because she was moving to another ward.

There have been widespread concerns in the UK over the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) given to frontline hospital workers.

Two weeks ago, a Northwick Park Hospital worker revealed to the Watford Observer and Harrow Times that staff were forced to share a visor with colleagues and were wrongly instructed on what equipment was needed at the intensive care unit.

Despite government promises for more PPE at hospitals, a nurse at the Harrow hospital has come forward to say she still does not feel safe at work.

The nurse, who wishes to be anonymous, said: “We get the feeling – if you die, you die. And if you catch it, that’s it.

“We don’t have a voice. I know it’s unprecedented times, but I don’t feel safe working.”

She continued: “The distribution is not equal. Some wards have enough (equipment), some don’t. I’m so scared.

“Last time, we didn’t have anything to cover from our knee or below, so I had to use a plastic bag which we used for our linen and covered myself with that.”

Last month, national newspapers released photos of three nurses at the hospital wearing bin bags on their heads and feet due to the lack of protective gear.

The same nurses were later confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19 – according to a spokesperson for London North West University Health Care NHS Trust.

Gareth Thomas, the Harrow West MP, was upset to hear the news and said: “These much valued NHS nurses are on the frontline serving my constituents at Northwick Park Hospital.

"It’s impossible not to feel deep concern for them and their families, and anger that they were left so exposed.

"This is an issue I had been raising since before parliament was adjourned and I will be seeking further reassurance from Ministers about the supply of personal protection equipment for all the staff at Northwick Park.”

Feeling forced to keep working

The Northwick Park Hospital nurse explained that although some workers feel uncomfortable continuing to treat Covid-19 patients without protection, they feel forced to keep working.

She said: “I’ve felt not bullied – but threatened – if I wanted to protect myself more.

“If I wear a FFP3 mask to go to another ward, they will confiscate it off me. Why should I be told off for making sure I’m protected?

“I took it because I was redeployed to another ward and wanted to feel safe, but I couldn’t take a mask from one ward to another.”

She explained: “I know in these times we have to do things out of our comfort zones, I understand that.

“But I do think they should take some suggestions before throwing us into the deep end. Ask if people are happy to do it.”

Like many of her colleagues, the nurse said she has taken matters into her own hands and bought her own protective equipment.

'My love for the job has changed'

The nurse said: “My love for the job has changed, I work because I need to work. But if I could change, I would stop and find another career.

“I used to love working in a hospital, but during these times my feelings are changing – we are taking this virus home and I don’t feel any support for the nurses.”

Denied a swab test

She said she had experienced Covid-19 symptoms in the past but was denied a swab test at the time because NHS England was prioritising patients.

Although NHS workers can now be tested, she said one colleague who previously self-isolated was immediately deployed back to a Covid-19 ward. But she had to again self-isolate due to feeling ill and was denied a test.

The nurse said: “I feel they have to prioritise the staff, it’s straining the remaining staff.

“Personally, I’m feeling the anxiety that this is bringing, they could have just tested us at the time we needed it.

“Just being redeployed gives me a lot of anxiety, but they still expect you to perform. I feel like I’m going to make a mistake and don’t feel comfortable.

“This is affecting a lot of people at the bottom, those higher up of course have their own issues, but they do not know how bad we feel in our position.

“We don’t have a choice but to continue working.”

Nonetheless, the nurse believes the hospital is working its hardest to treat the influx of patients being admitted.

She said: “But what I’m trying to say is they should start doing better, not only focusing on saving lives, but the people saving lives.”

Her claims are backed up by another worker at the hospital who says they feel paranoid going to work in certain wards without sufficient PPE.

What hospital bosses said:

Lisa Knight, chief nurse at the trust, said: "The safety of our staff is a top priority and, while we know that this is an anxious time for many of our nurses, I can reassure them that we continue to follow the latest guidance on protective equipment from Public Health England.

“We put the latest guidance in place on our wards as soon as it was issued, to maximise our protection for staff. All equipment is distributed as soon as it becomes available to us.

"Public Health England have been very clear about when and where our staff should wear PPE. If our nurses have any questions, we strongly encourage them to come to us through the appropriate channels so we can answer them or look into them further.

"I have been very impressed by the professionalism of our nurses: despite working in such difficult times, they continue to rise to the challenge for the sake of our patients."

NHS England announced that nearly 29 million PPE items were delivered to 268 trusts and organisations on yesterday (April 9).

The London North West University Trust has the second highest number of Covid-19 deaths in England. On April 9, its death toll was 228.