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Original poster

Hospital tell us to wear FFP3 masks now!

30 replies

Fordian · 04/02/2022 10:05

The Trust I work for mandated the wearing of FFP3 masks in clinical areas yesterday; to date it was paper masks only, even tacitly banning FFP3 masks except originally dealing with aerosol generating patients (ventilated etc)- you could only wear your paper mask when dealing with non-ventilated covid patients, of which there were many. I noted several consultants ignored that and wore FFP3 masks all the time, though.

About 3 weeks ago they moved to the staff wearing FFP3 masks with any confirmed positive patient; now, as it appears we're moving towards no restrictions out in society, my Trust is putting us in more PPE!

This is all so mad! I recall at the start of the pandemic, we were banned from wearing masks in case it frightened the public as the numbers shot up. Then we were banned from not wearing PPE. As we fashioned PPE from bin-liners and reused single-use PPE. Then it was paper masks only, pretty much. Now here we are stepping up PPE.

This is making no sense.

OP posts:

Imfedupwithallofthis · 04/02/2022 11:14

I think it is important to point out that the disposable masks generally used in medical settings are not made of paper,but of polypropylene.

SilenceOfThePrams · 04/02/2022 11:18

I think it makes a lot of sense.

The surgical masks are primarily designed to block transmission from wearer to others, although they have a moderate protective effect too.

Ffp3 masks are designed to protect the wearer.

As restrictions are easing and infection levels are soaring, with masks being dropped in many places I assume compliance with mask wearing in hospital might drop too, you’re inevitably going to be exposed to higher levels of covid, along with all the other respiratory nasties which mask wearing in public spaces has mostly kept a lid on.

Essentially they’re saying they can’t assume anyone is negative now, so they are protecting their staff.

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 04/02/2022 11:21

FFP3s to protect the healthcare worker from infected patients makes perfect sense. It's terrible it's taken so long.

getboosted · 04/02/2022 11:24

Study done in Cambridge health trust showed FFP3 masks reduced staff catching Covid by huge percentage.

In other countries health staff have had to wear FFP3 since the start of the pandemic and this respect the UK was an outdated anomaly.

The NHS is your employer and as such has a legal responsibility to protect you from harm and keep you safe at work. Since JCVI have decided not to follow the science and other countries in giving a second booster after 4 months, the least they can do is stop you actually inhaling Covid at work.

The paper-style (apparently not actually paper) FFP1 masks have been proven to only offer 10% protection against one of the older variants and Omicron (and new Omicron variant) are even more infectious so FFP1 masks will offer less than 10% protection.

If the NHS only offer their staff FFP1 masks, they are running the risk of breaking the law on keeping staff safe and free from harm at work. However, I expect it is more to do with reducing staff absence, based on this government's attitude to keeping NHS staff protected from Covid at work (it has taken 2 years to 'allow' staff to wear FFP3 masks). If other trusts are anything to go by, there won't be enough FFP3 masks anyway as some departments will hoard them and the trust won't have planned for this and purchased enough anyway.

getboosted · 04/02/2022 11:27

www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/upgrading-ppe-for-staff-working-on-covid-19-wards-cut-hospital-acquired-infections-dramatically

The reduction in staff Covid infection with FFP3 masks is up to 100%!!!

Criminal that the NHS/government have taken 2 years to protect staff from harm at work

MegCleary · 04/02/2022 11:34

Well I wore ffp3 when we had pts on ward with covid and I was stared at by staff. It is coming in in our trust now too.
The change is now because it is acknowledged on some register that covid is airborne so they have to protect us properly now ……
www.hsmsearch.com/CAPA-BOHS-welcome-Covid-guidance

Sallydimebar · 04/02/2022 11:43

“ Since Omicron was first identified 10 weeks ago, almost 90 million #COVID19 cases have been reported to @WHO. We are now starting to see a very worrying increase in deaths, in most regions of the world. It’s premature for any country either to surrender, or to declare victory.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom world health organisation.

Be grateful your trust are following the science and have some protection in place , unlike schools who have been left to crack on with no protection.

FadedRed · 04/02/2022 11:47

Are your Trust doing the necessary Fit Testing for FFP3 masks? And what arrangements have they in place for the staff who fail the test? All bearded staff told to shave? Or just paying lip-service to the recommendation but not doing it correctly?

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 04/02/2022 11:48

The paper-style (apparently not actually paper) FFP1 masks

The paper-style medical/surgical masks are not FFP1. FFP1 masks are dust respirators and are PPE (personal protective equipment).

Medical/surgical masks are not actually PPE as they are designed to make the wearer keep their germs more or less to themselves, not to protect the wearer from other people's germs. Of course they do provide a partially effective physical barrier, but they are not designed for this purpose.

imstilljenny2 · 04/02/2022 11:53

I know I shouldn't moan about this but FFP3 masks are so bloody uncomfortable to wear! They are hot and sweaty and my face has deep welts in it when I take it off. I also get a cut in my nose when I wear it for days in a row. None of our covid ICU staff caught covid from work though so I guess it's worth it.

Rupertpenrysmistress · 04/02/2022 12:01

I agree Fordian I remember the early terrifying days when we were being exposed but still not allowed to wear any protection. I remember wearing masks in handover as we were literally on top of each other and getting told off.

It's too little too late, the problem is this is to protect staff, as they have finally realised we don't have any. Trouble is, covid is the least of their worries, it's the mental health and PTSD that is now keeping staff away from work.

When staff have time off with covid they get hounded from day 5/6 to come back, some people are still unwell despite what the lateral flow says. Staff have been, and are still being treated badly. I know we have a surplus of FFP3 as we were not allowed to use them.

Original poster

Fordian · 04/02/2022 12:07

Yes, I'm pretty furious with how we've been treated regarding masks.

I asked my manager only 2 weeks ago why with the catastrophic absences Omicron was causing we weren't being allowed to wear FFP3s, and she said 'because we're all vaccinated, and seeing as we're all still distancing, it doesn't spread nearly as badly'....

I sit in a room 4m x3m with 4 other staff for 8 hours.

They'd stopped mask fitting because 'they couldn't get the fitters or the solutions' according to the management. Turns out they had both within the Trust but they didn't want any of us to stop work to go and get fitted.

It's shocking.

OP posts:

Metallicalover · 04/02/2022 12:11

A hell of a lot of healthcare workers work in the community, going into covid positive households none of which are wearing masks, god knows who's in the house!
We pop in with our surgical masks and plastic pinnys! This is a PPE assuming that everyone is positive!
It makes no sense bringing this in now, it should have been a long time ago! The masks are so uncomfortable when fitted properly! They have never cared about protecting workers!
It's all to save face! When we had a breakout at work they tried to blame the staff! Not the covid patients we see all day every day!

treeflowercat · 04/02/2022 12:55

I wore a FFP2 mask to my booster appointment in December and got told to take it off and use one of their surgical masks! Clueless - and this in a hospital too! 😟

treeflowercat · 04/02/2022 12:57

plastic pinnys!

What's the point of those when you're only wearing a surgical mask. I suppose it makes you "look hygienic".

Metallicalover · 04/02/2022 13:38

@treeflowercat yes! A lot of the time it was converted bin bags!

EllaPaella · 04/02/2022 16:34

We should have had them all along in hospitals, not the crappy surgical masks that are no different to the ones everyone wears in the supermarket. They are the only mask that will actually have a decent chance of stopping the spread of infection.

EllaPaella · 04/02/2022 16:39

Right at the beginning of the pandemic our 'esteemed' chief of nursing walked round the hospital with a Consultant telling all the staff to take their masks off as it was frightening for the patients.
A week later we were all being told we had to wear full PPE at all times for all tasks and patient contact.
That is the only time I can ever remember her doing a walk round the hospital, haven't set eyes on her since.
The sheer audacity of someone in such a role to treat her staff like that knowing they were frightened and scared, knowing full well that she was well and truly safe from redeployment or ever having to work the front line. It still boils my piss to this day.

HesterShaw1 · 04/02/2022 16:51

Well as the effectiveness of wearing paper/polypropylene masks is pretty hopeless, and people stop wearing them, it makes sense for individuals to protect themselves.

In fact I think anyone still concerned about Covid should so this, rather than relying on others wearing useless masks

Original poster

Fordian · 04/02/2022 22:24

@EllaPaella

Right at the beginning of the pandemic our 'esteemed' chief of nursing walked round the hospital with a Consultant telling all the staff to take their masks off as it was frightening for the patients. A week later we were all being told we had to wear full PPE at all times for all tasks and patient contact. That is the only time I can ever remember her doing a walk round the hospital, haven't set eyes on her since. The sheer audacity of someone in such a role to treat her staff like that knowing they were frightened and scared, knowing full well that she was well and truly safe from redeployment or ever having to work the front line. It still boils my piss to this day.

Yup, me too. Sitting in their safe offices monitoring the direction of public opinion, then jumping ahead of the crowd and declaring effective leadership.

Like Boris.

OP posts:

Original poster

Fordian · 04/02/2022 22:24

@HesterShaw1

Well as the effectiveness of wearing paper/polypropylene masks is pretty hopeless, and people stop wearing them, it makes sense for individuals to protect themselves.

In fact I think anyone still concerned about Covid should so this, rather than relying on others wearing useless masks

But we weren't allowed to!

OP posts:

Porcupineintherough · 05/02/2022 00:33

@treeflowercat

I wore a FFP2 mask to my booster appointment in December and got told to take it off and use one of their surgical masks! Clueless - and this in a hospital too! 😟

Yes I've had this. I compromise by putting the flimsy bit of crap they are offering me over my own N95 mask.

NYnewstart · 05/02/2022 00:41

I’m currently covid positive after wearing a ffp3 mask all day at school. Touch wood I’m not very ill so hopefully my viral load is low - but still!

Shitfuckcommaetc · 05/02/2022 00:45

Really? Are they fit testing the entire staff?! As alot will fail and need different masks (butter experience)

Shitfuckcommaetc · 05/02/2022 00:46

Butter food on the brain.

Bitter experience!

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