HOSPITAL managers say stocks of personal protective equipment are running low at Hereford County Hospital.

Health workers in the county say they are wearing gowns made of shower curtain material and, in some cases, they have had to use masks with expiry dates of 2014.

One worker, who did not wish to be named, said it was like “going to war without a gun”.

An official health trust email sent out to NHS workers on Monday and seen by the Hereford Times asked them to only wear scrubs if they were working in the Frome, ITU and Red ED wards because stocks are running low.

But the Wye Valley NHS Trust says they are managing stocks carefully and that they are using PPE according to Public Health England guidance.

The latest guidelines suggest out of date masks can be used if they have been stored correctly.

A trust spokesperson said: “We are managing our stocks of PPE carefully and there is no shortage of PPE stock at Wye Valley NHS Trust.

“The NHS supply process ensures we have the right levels of equipment for the number of patients we are seeing. As we are using PPE according to Public Health England (PHE) guidelines, we are receiving new stock as they are needed.

“To bolster our supply of gowns, we are working with the For the love of scrubs – Herefordshire Facebook group, which is making extra gowns for staff.

“As regards masks – updated PHE guidance has given a reassurance nationally that if the masks have been stored correctly they remain fit for purpose and can be used past their listed expiry date.”

The Government has come under fire this week for its handling of PPE supplies, with council leaders criticising their poorly coordinated response.

Meanwhile, the Army has set up a drive-through coronavirus testing centre in Hereford as part of the UK-wide drive to increase testing for critical workers.

Since Friday, key workers with Covid-19 symptoms have been able to book tests online, with more drive-through testing centres opening across the country.

The drive-through has been set up at the Merton Meadow car park.

The site is alongside a network of testing sites being set up around the UK, and is operating on an appointment-only basis for NHS staff and other key workers.

“The Armed Forces are helping to support the Government’s efforts to increase testing,” an Army spokesperson said.

“This includes creating a network of mobile testing units which will travel the country to reach essential workers at sites where there is a demand for testing. These units, operated by personnel from all three services, are deploying across the UK with soldiers taking swabs from key workers, including NHS and care home staff. A mobile testing unit is currently in Hereford at Merton Meadow car park.

“The units have been designed to clinical requirements by Army engineers and can be easily set up in under 20 minutes. The new mobile units will work alongside the drive-through test sites to rapidly increase the number of tests completed each day.”

More than 30 people have died in hospital in the county after testing positive for coronavirus, according to Public Health England.

While no new deaths were recorded in figures released on Tuesday, 31 people with Covid-19 have now died in Herefordshire’s hospitals. That number is up from 24 a week ago.

The number of confirmed cases in the county reached 259 on Tuesday, up from 198 the same time on Friday. This figure includes patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.