The fight to tackle the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available to NHS staff and care home workers has been boosted by the efforts of volunteers and manufacturers across the UK.
The government has faced criticism for its failure to arm front-line workers with suitable PPE to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic, with the BBC’s Panorama programme exposing an absence of stockpiled protective gowns and visors when the virus reached UK shores.
Whilst the government tries to boost its stockpile amidst a global shortage of equipment, some UK manufacturers have helped out by diversifying their output to support front line staff.
Northern Irish sports manufacturer O’Neill’s switched output in its Strabane factory from kit and teamwear to medical scrubs for front line workers, whilst luxury fashion house Burberry transformed its trench coat factory in Castleford to make non-surgical gowns.
Meanwhile, leading packaging manufacturer Polybags has expanded its own Hygiene and PPE range, which features a number of product lines, including protective face masks, full face shields, disposable aprons and polythene gloves.
Whilst businesses have been adapting to help the NHS in the fight against Coronavirus, volunteers across the UK have also been doing their bit to support the national effort.
When a London doctor put out a call for protective face visors to friends on WhatsApp, her appeal snowballed via social media and a project labelled the ‘Visor Army’ soon led to the creation of 75,000 shields from concerned helpers.
Dr Deborah Braham, a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at Hammersmith Hospital in west London, told the BBC she was “overwhelmed” by the response.
“Initially it was just people I knew who came on board, then it was people I didn’t know,” she said. “Within a short time this whole thing had grown so big with so many people wanting to help.
“It’s given a lot of people a real sense of purpose and contribution in what are very difficult times. It’s been a real community effort and I cannot thank these people enough.”
Image courtesy of Polybags.
