A shipment of vital personal protective equipment (PPE) has been delayed from reaching NHS workers, the Scottish Health Secretary confirmed today. 

The equipment is being kept at Glasgow Prestwick Airport while a labelling issue is being resolved. 

Labels had not been placed on all the boxes of the shipment which has meant it could not be cleared from the airport. 

Jeane Freeman said during the daily press briefing: "The shipment is, as far as I know, still there at Prestwick Airport whilst we resolve this issue.

"This is a really important shipment for us."

"It contains 10 million IIR masks - that is a fluid-resistant mask. It also has 20,000 testing kits that important."

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She added: "What we knew was that it was possible that the fact that the shipment didn't have a label on all the boxes, but had a note inside the boxes, may not be sufficient to clear them from the airport and get them where they need to be."

The Government decided it preferred to have equipment "sitting on a runway in Scotland" rather than "sitting on a runway in China", Ms Freeman explained. 

The charter plane carrying the PPE landed in Glasgow Prestwick Airport on Saturday, April 19. 

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It is expected that the masks and tests will be cleared this coming week and the equipment will be distributed. 

Ms Freeman added: "The work is underway to resolve issue around labelling. 

"For NHS Scotland it is not immediately needed at the frontline but it will add importantly to our stockpile."