At least 100 health and care workers have died of coronavirus, a nursing website has said, amid growing concerns about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for those working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of nurses, doctors, porters and members of other professions who have died has been catalogued by Nursing Notes, a platform run by nurses for others in the profession.

They announced that at 2pm GMT a milestone had been reached with at least 100 health and social care workers now believed to have died. The website has been recording all deaths since the outbreak began, verifying all the information they receive using a number of independent sources and permissions sought from family, friends or colleagues.

The government has publicly verified 27 deaths of NHS staff from Covid-19 during the pandemic.

Among those who have died are Linda Clarke, who worked as a delivery suite coordinator at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary. She had worked in the maternity service for 30 years, with trust chiefs saying she had “brought many new lives into the borough”.

In a statement, Silas Nicholls, the chief executive at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS trust, said: “We can sadly confirm that a member of our staff, Linda Clarke, tragically passed away on 17 April. Linda was 66 and worked in our maternity service for 30 years, bringing many new lives into our borough and caring for expectant mums in our community.”

Ade Dickson, a mental health nurse for the Barnet crisis resolution and home treatment team, also died. A spokesperson from Barnet, Enfield and Haringey mental health trust said: “We are very sad to confirm the loss of our colleague and friend Ade Dickson due to coronavirus.”

They added: “Ade was a highly respected colleague who will be deeply missed by his family, friends, trust staff and patients. We ask that you please respect their privacy at this difficult time.”

The Guardian has also been recording the deaths of NHS staff and has written tributes for 81, with the number continuing to be updated as more names come in.

Over the weekend, hospital leaders have directly attacked the government for the first time during the coronavirus crisis over the shortage of PPE after a desperately needed consignment of surgical gowns that had been announced by ministers failed to arrive.

In an unprecedented intervention, which hospital leaders privately say is the result of “intense frustration and exasperation”, the organisations representing NHS trusts in England urged ministers to “just focus on what we can be certain of” after weeks of “bitter experience” with failed deliveries.

The NHS Confederation and NHS Providers spoke out amid continuing alarm that shortages of equipment will soon have disastrous effects on the frontline, with representatives of intensive care staff warning on Sunday that the critical shortage of PPE could lead to some people refusing to continue working there.