The Deceased Management Advisory Group (DMAG), which represents the entire funeral, cremation and burial sector, has written to the Chief Executive of Public Health England expressing its extreme concerns about the ongoing lack of industry-specific guidance on use of Personal Protective Equipment for those working with deceased people infected by COVID-19.
In conference calls with the Cabinet Office, we were led to expect that updated PHE guidance would have been published by now but at today’s meeting, it became clear that there was still no date confirmed for this guidance to be produced.
We understand that scientific understanding of the disease is still developing but, in the absence of specific guidance, we are left having to interpret advice meant for those in a healthcare setting, which leaves so many questions unanswered about what PPE is really needed. The fact of having to work without clear guidance is causing extreme anxiety among funeral workers, particularly given the desperate shortage of PPE available.
Click here to read the letter.