The Scotsman has seen an email marked ‘high’ importance from NHS National Services Scotland who deal with procurement asking suppliers to provide them with information if they are experiencing or are expecting any issues.

The email has been sent to all suppliers who have been awarded onto any National Procurement Frameworks with a request that they forward any supporting documentation in relation to the Covid-19 outbreak ‘as soon as possible’ and by Friday 6th March at the latest.

Coronavirus: stockpiling of food and medicine 'may become rife'

The fast-spreading coronavirus could mean the vital Scottish medical supply link with China is affected picture: supplied

The supplies that may be affected include everything from disposable kidney dishes and swabs through to operating theatre tables.

NHS National Services say on their website that they manage over £1.4 billion in national contracts and deliver over 80,000 items to hospital wards, departments and community centres from their Lanarkshire distribution point.

“They’re asking all their NHS contracted suppliers to confirm where the products that they supply are being made and manufactured.

“Whether or not they’re looking to make sure the continuity of supply isn’t going to be disrupted in case there’s any issues in China arising from the coronavirus or I’m not sure if it’s anything to do with actual contamination of the products. I suspect it’s more about the continuity of supply and availability.

“If the Chinese workers have Covid-19 or are quarantined then they’re not going to be making medical equipment and

therefore they won’t be in a position to supply it.

“The email will have gone to every supplier who has a product on any national framework.

“It will be anything that’s on a national contract in Scotland.

“The NHS procurement service are just validating that the British company or whoever has the contract doesn’t sub-contract it from a company in China.”

Latest figures released by the Scottish Government showed that a total of 437 test for Covid-19 have been carried out to date in Scotland.

All have been negative.

Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood has advised it is ‘highly likely’ Scotland will see a positive case and cautioned that major sporting events, rock concerts and other large public gatherings could be banned across the country in a bid to contain the Covid-19 virus.

She said the government and NHS were working on “containment first” and then a range of measures to try to limit the number of people infected in any outbreak.

Ireland’s men and women’s Six Nations games against italy in Dublin on 7th and 8th March have been postponed because of the coronavirus.

Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “It is very concerning that there could be potential supply chain issues for the delivery of surgical equipment to NHS Scotland.

“Patients in Scotland are already facing record long waiting times for operations and if operations need to be postponed, due to a lack of surgical equipment, this will worsen the situation.

“Measures must be taken to ensure that NHS Scotland has sufficient surgical equipment to keep carrying out operations as normal and a backup plan in place if there are supply chain issues.”

Health secretary Jeane Freeman who attended a Scottish Government Resilience meeting chaired by Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday to discuss preparedness in Scotland, following outbreaks in northern Italy and other parts of the world. said ‘we are expecting an outbreak’.

Preparations in Scotland

Preparations in Scotland to date include - the establishment of two testing laboratories in Glasgow and Edinburgh to speed up identification of confirmed cases. supplying GP surgeries with face masks and ensuring hospitals are fully stocked with personal protective equipment.

Public health legislation has been updated to make coronavirus a notifiable disease.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The NHS in Scotland is well-prepared to deal with an outbreak of coronavirus. The Scottish Government continues to work with health boards as part of the planning and preparations to ensure that supplies are maintained to the NHS.”

Waiting for supplies

Meanwhile, many GP practices in Scotland are still waiting for supplies of face masks to cope with potential cases of Covid-19, according to a leading medic.

Dr Andrew Buist, a Tayside GP who chairs the BMA’s Scottish general practice committee, said masks to protect staff from coronavirus were promised three weeks ago.

Speaking Radio Scotland’s Lunchtime Live Dr Buist said he was not personally worried about exposure to the virus, and said he accepted it as one of the risks of working as a doctor.

But he said the health authorities had to ensure appropriate precautions were taken.

“There are things we can do and it has been advised we wear face masks,” he said.

“It’s frustrating when we haven’t been provided with them after they were promised over three weeks ago.”

Dr Buist said hospital departments were likely to be well-supplied with equipment such as masks but staff at GP surgeries might well be the first to come into contact with infected patients.

He added: “Because general practice is very much in the front line of this, we need to ensure we have the protective equipment supplied to general practices as well.”

Coronavirus: fears vital Scottish medical supply link is affected by fast spreading disease