Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that 19 NHS staff have died from coronavirus and defended comments on PPE which angered health workers.

Mr Hancock told BBC Breakfast this morning: "My heart goes out to their families, these are people who have put themselves on the front line.

"The work is going on to establish whether they caught coronavirus in the line of duty while at work or whether, like so many other people, caught it in the rest of their lives.

"It is obviously quite difficult to work that out.

"What matters is we pay tribute to their service."

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It comes after Mr Hancock was criticised for his response at Friday's afternoon briefing, when he deferred a question about the death toll to England's Chief Nursing Officer Ruth May, who declined to give a figure.

He added: "I'm particularly struck at the high proportion of people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people who have come to this country to work in the NHS who have died of coranavirus

"I find it really upsetting actually and it is a testament to the fact that people who have come from all over the world have come and given their lives in service to the NHS and paid for that with their lives.

"I think we should recognise their enormous contribution."

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Mr Hancock also defended comments he made on PPE 'not being used more than is needed'  despite a backlash from within the health sector.

His words were criticised by the Royal College of Nursing general secretary Dame Donna Kinnair who said today that PPE was not 'more precious a resource than a healthcare worker's life, a nurse's life, a doctor's life'.

Mr Hancock told BBC Breakfast: "It is really important to stress that people use the right amount of protective equipment.

"For instance, having looked at the evidence, the guidance was changed, with the support of the Royal College of Nursing and others, last week to say that you can use a gown for a whole session, a whole shift, rather than changing it when you treat each individual patient.

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"That is an important change because it means we get through them less quickly and save precious equipment.

"It is very important to stress that point. I'm not impugning anybody who works for the NHS and I think they do an amazing job but what I am reiterating, stressing, is the importance to use the right amount of PPE, both to have enough and also to use it as the precious resource that it is."