BBC's Andrew Neil defends Boris Johnson as he points out key flaw in EU ventilator scheme

The EU launched an initiative in March to get more ventilators to treat patients. It was aimed pooling resources together so the bloc could have a bigger collective buying power to get the

medical equipment from manufacturers. However, the EU has admitted it has not produced any of the critical equipment yet to tackle coronavirus.

They have said: “Taking into account the difficult situation of the markets and the complexity of products like ventilators, their production and delivery is expected to take time."

The ventilators work by assisting a patient’s respiratory functions and pumping oxygen into the blood for vital organs.

This comes as the UK has more than 60,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 7,097 deaths.

The UK was eligible to participate in the scheme despite leaving the EU on January 31.

However, the Cabinet Office said there was nothing the EU scheme offered that the UK was not able to do alone.

At the end of March the NHS had 5,900 ventilators but said they could need three times this number if the disease spread.

Journalist Andrew Neil said on Twitter: “So the EU scheme that many attacked Britain for not participating in has yet to produce new ventilators.

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“And might not for some time. New ventilators for EU will take time, the commission says.”

Speaking of the issue on the Andrew Marr show, Michael Gove said: “There was some communication confusion.

“I don’t know all the details of that, but I do know having talked to senior figures in the NHS that there’s nothing that participating in that scheme would have allowed us to do that we

have not been able to do ourselves.”

Attacking the Government, Lib Dem MP, Layla Moran, said: “At a time when the NHS is facing chronic shortages of ventilators and other vital medical equipment, it is deeply concerning that

the Government has reportedly refused to take part in the EU joint procurement scheme.

"We will only beat the threat posed by COVID-19 by working together with our friends and partners in Europe and around the world.

"Ministers must put pragmatism above ideological considerations and urgently opt into the EU joint procurement scheme so that we can secure the vital equipment NHS workers and those

suffering from COVID-19 so desperately need."

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Many UK companies have been helping the Government in their call for more ventilators, including Dyson and Gtech.

Calling the companies to help, a Downing Street spokesman said: “We’re calling on the manufacturing industry and all those with relevant expertise who might be able to help to come together

to help the country tackle this national crisis”.

“We need to step up production of vital equipment such as ventilators so that we can all help the most vulnerable, and we need businesses to come to us and help in this national effort.”

There are some concerns that the ventilators being made by these UK companies could miss the pandemic peak in the UK.

The issue of EU unity has been put into strain due to the crisis especially as poorer countries Italy and Spain have expected financial help from Germany.

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