'It's life or death': Ventilator equipment shortages putting children at risk, mother warns
Video report by ITV News Anglia's Victoria Lampard
A family from Norfolk say their daughter is one of thousands of seriously ill children being put at risk due to shortages of ventilator equipment caused by Covid-19.
Maisie Lossau, 15, who lives with her parents in Spixworth near Norwich, has relied on a ventilator to help her breathe after surgery to remove a brain tumour left her paralysed four years ago.
Parts of the ventilator, such as the humidification valve, are normally changed daily, but the family are now having to change them far less frequently because they are struggling to get hold of supplies.
According to the charity WellChild, it's a problem right across the country, with an estimated 3,000 families facing shortages of the equipment.Speaking to ITV News Anglia, Maisie's mother, Dawn Lossau, 48, said having to use the equipment for twice as long as safely recommended could significantly increase the risk of her daughter picking up an infection.
"If it gets too damp or too wet (the valve), it's a breeding ground for germs. Covid is obviously a respiratory issue, it could potentially be fatal, so changing the valve on a regular basis ensures we're keeping a clean circuit going," she said.
The demand for the parts has risen because of the pandemic, and the WellChild charity is now calling on the government to ring fence the equipment.
"We want them to make any available supplies in the system immediately available to this vulnerable group of families," Matt James from the charity said.
"Whilst the pandemic is new and unforeseen, the needs of these families have been known for a long time so why weren't these stocks ring-fenced before?"
The concern now is that it will be even harder to get hold of the parts if there's a second spike, and Dawn admits she's "terrified" of what could happen.
"If we have a second spike, we're just going to be in the same position again," said Dawn.
"To not have a plan B for those people that deal with this on a day to day spectrum, that's terrifying.
"Please help us find some more equipment, and if it is being stored somewhere and not being used, then you need to release it back to the people that need it every day."
The Department of Health and Social Care told ITV News that they are doing "everything they can" to secure supplies.
A spokesperson said: "We understand how challenging this period is and we are doing everything we can to support patients, led by clinical advice.
"Covid-19 has caused a significant increase in demand for clinical consumables and has disrupted international supply chains.
"We have put in place a range of measures to address these challenges, including making it easier for clinicians to report shortages and identifying opportunities to open up new supply options and using additional brands."