Ministers have been told to “urgently prioritise” the delivery of more personal protective equipment (PPE) to nurses treating coronavirus patients.

Theresa Fyffe, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland director, said it is “unconscionable” that some staff are still working without the appropriate items.

She said there is evidence of staff in hospices and care homes asking for donations of gloves, goggles and aprons.

Ms Fyffe said: “This situation simply cannot continue.”

It comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said about 34 million items of PPE have been delivered to hospitals across Scotland in the last four to six weeks.

In addition to this, eight million items are being sent to staff working in the primary care and social care sectors this week, she said.

Ms Fyffe said: “Our members are telling us that they simply are not getting the PPE they need and there is evidence of hospices and care homes asking for donations of gloves, goggles and aprons.

“I am calling on the Government to urgently prioritise the flow of equipment, which they say is available, to ensure every single member of the nursing profession is safe to go to work.

“Every minute we wait is a minute too long. All staff, no matter where they work, must feel safe.”

The union has already raised concerns in a letter to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman.

Ms Fyffe insisted: “It is unconscionable that front-line nursing staff working in the community, care homes and hospices are still inadequately protected to carry out their work safely.”

Earlier, the First Minister told MSPs Scotland had “reasonably good supplies of all key items” of PPE at this stage.

She added: “There is an absolutely fundamental principle at stake here and it is one that I, the Health Secretary and the entire Government takes extremely seriously.

“Given everything that health and care workers are doing to protect us right now, we must do everything we can to protect them.”

Ms Sturgeon earlier updated the Scottish Parliament on protetctive equipment for NHS staff.

She said: “The importance of ensuring that our health and care workers have adequate supplies of the right equipment simply cannot be overstated.

“Over the past four to six weeks, around 34 million items of personal protective equipment have been delivered to hospitals across Scotland to provide care for Covid-19 patients.

“Over this week, we are issuing almost 8 million items of personal protective equipment stock to staff across primary care and social care.”

She said that was eight weeks of supply but acknowledged there would be pressures on supply due to global demand

The First Minister added: “We have taken steps to improve not just the supply of PPE but its distribution. For example, NHS National Services Scotland is now operating a triage service so that it can respond more quickly to urgent requests for PPE from health and social care providers.

“There is a fundamental principle at stake, which I, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the entire Government take extremely seriously: given everything that health and care workers are doing to protect us right now, we must do everything that we can to protect them.”