Coronavirus doctor is forced to wear disposable NHS pants on his HEAD after his ward runs out of hair-nets – as he jokes Matt Hancock will be asking him to use his own underwear next
- London doctor @RNappleby revealed on Twitter that disposable paper pants, normally reserved for patients, were being used as hair-nets by staff
- Responding to Matt Hancock’s claim some NHS workers may be overusing PPE, gastroenterologist said he may have to use his own underwear as a hair-net next
- Health Secretary told staff last week not to take ‘precious’ masks for granted
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
A gastroenterologist has revealed how he wore disposable hospital pants on his head after his ward ran out of hair-nets.
The London-based doctor, who tweets using the handle @RNappleby, shared a photo of himself wearing the paper knickers while on shift last week.
He said the sight of himself wearing the throw-away underwear normally reserved for patients ‘may have sent me over the edge’.
And, in a stinging response to Health Secretary Matt Hancock‘s statement last week that NHS staff could be overusing personal protective equipment (PPE), the doctor posted photos of himself wearing his own underwear on his head, and using a chocolate Easter egg for a mask.
Scroll down for video
London doctor @RNappleby wearing paper pants normally reserved for hospital patients during a shift; he told his Twitter followers that the ward had run out of hair-nets and staff had been forced to improvise
Mimicking the famous scene from comedy Blackadder, in which Rowan Atkinson’s character dons underwear on his head and pencils up his nose, the doctor said he might be forced to use his own pants as PPE soon
The Health Secretary insisted there was enough protective clothing to meet demand, but urged health workers to treat the gear like a ‘precious’ resource.
In response, @RNappleby shared the first image of himself wearing the pants, makingit clear that the London hospital he was working in wasn’t flush with PPE.
He wrote: ‘Today we were asked to wear disposable patient pants because we have run out of hair nets. It may have sent me over the edge.’
The next day, he tweeted again, this time with a shot of his own underwear on his head and two pencils up his nostrils, mimicking the famous scene from cult comedy Blackadder, in which the historical protagonist dons underwear on his head and pencils up his nose.
The foundation year doctor penned: @matthancock says we’re wasting #PPE so after yesterday’s experience, I’ve bought my own in from home, no mask, will just have to hold my breath #COVID19.’
Later he added: ‘I have taken the health secretary’s comments onboard, so today I brought in my own pants from home.’
In another photo poking fun at the Health Secretary’s words, the doctor is seen using a chocolate Easter egg as a mask
The gastroenterologist has been documenting life on a Covid-19 ward in recent weeks, including a rallying tweet about being able to discharge recovering patients.
On Easter Monday, he wrote: ‘Some good #COVID19 news; in 4 days managing the geriatric COVID ward we had 15 discharges. It can kill you at any age, but you can also recover at any age too.’
Last week Matt Hancock again cautioned coronavirus medics against overusing personal protective equipment.
The Health Secretary insisted there was enough protective clothing to meet demand, but urged health workers to treat the gear like a ‘precious’ resource.
Last week, the Health Secretary insisted that there is enough PPE to meet demand but should be treated by hospitals as a ‘precious resource’
His remarks doubled down on previous comments made at a Downing Street press briefing where he responded to reports from the frontline of a dire shortage of equipment.
However, he was met with a fierce backlash, led by a top nurse who scolded the minister for suggestions that NHS staff were straying beyond the guidance.
The health worker, from Manchester, hit back at suggestions staff were wasting equipment and said those working on her ward were afraid to take off their masks to drink, as this means they have to be thrown away, raising the risk of dehydration.
She said: ‘We are being lied to about what masks we do and don’t have, and they’re hiding ones we are running out of.
‘We can’t eat or drink enough because we can’t have water or snacks in the area and can’t take masks off.
‘And we’re too scared to drink too much when we’re out because if we need to go to the toilet then it means taking it all off again and wasting it, so we are all horribly dehydrated.’