NHS hospitals are reportedly being forced to buy protective equipment for medics battling coronavirus directly from China amid severe shortages.
A number of London hospitals have taken it upon themselves to negotiate directly with Chinese companies to boost their stocks and are even commissioning flights to bring kit to the UK, the Telegraph reports.
A senior health official who works in procurement told the paper that central stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns and face masks - vital to stop medics from getting the highly contagious Covid-19 when they treat patients - have "evaporated" in recent days.
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