The care home which sacked an employee over claims of lack of PPE has admitted it did have a shortage

The care home which sacked a staff member during the pandemic after she raised concerns over a lack of PPE has admitted that it did in fact have “supply chain issues” at the time.

Nadia Whittome, who is also the Labour MP for Nottingham East, began working at Lark Hill retirement village in April, at the height of the pandemic, but was asked to leave her job after speaking out about PPE shortages in May.

The MP, who donated her salary from the care home shifts to charity, returned to her old job as a carer to help care for the elderly residents there as the pandemic was at its peak.

What did Whittome say?

Speaking to BBC Newsnight in April, Ms Whittome said that she and her colleagues didn’t “feel as though our government is keeping us safe because there isn’t enough PPE” and described using “visors that people have made at home.”

In May, the Mirror reported that it had been shown an email in which Ms Whittome was told she would no longer be asked to do shifts at Lark Hill, because she had spoken to the media about PPE shortage concerns and the general safety of staff and residents.

Following this, Ms Whittome appealed to all care workers across the country to write to her if they faced intimidation, disciplinary action or silencing as a result of speaking up during the Covid-19 crisis.