NHS bosses across Cheshire say they have been “humbled” by the public response to providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontline staff dealing with the COVID-19 virus.
They have been flooded with offers of help to supply or make gowns, gloves, visors and masks amid a shortage for hospital and care staff dealing with coronavirus patients.
Now they are working through many offers of products to ensure they meet “quality standards” and can be distributed across the county.
An NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group spokesperson said: “We have been extremely grateful to both existing suppliers of PPE and those organisations that have been offering and sharing their stock of unused PPE for redistribution across Cheshire.
“The stock we have redistributed meets the correct quality standards required to ensure our health and care workers are properly protected against COVID-19.
“We have also been humbled by the outpouring of support and generosity from the public and organisations in the wider community.
“They have offered to manufacture items such as safety visors and goggles that have been reported in the media as being in short supply.
“Due to the need to make sure these items meet the correct quality standards, in addition to local vetting arrangements already being undertaken, we are now working closely with the Innovation Agency.
“We’ve engaged them to review offers of locally manufactured PPE from our local schools, organisations and individuals in the wider community, if not previously confirmed as compliant.
“Our health and care staff are doing a fantastic job in exceptionally challenging circumstances.
“Great efforts are being made to provide them with the PPE required to carry out their vital role in tackling COVID-19, keeping them and the people they are caring for safe.
“Our hospitals have been helped by the local manufacture of scrubs, which are items of workwear rather than PPE.
“We are extremely grateful to the volunteers and local businesses who have helped us meet these challenges, which relate to increased use of this workwear and finite laundry capacity.
“It is vitally important that everyone follows NHS guidance on hand hygiene, social distancing and caring for the most vulnerable to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
If you have a suggestion around PPE products you can offer, contact them on [email protected] and they will provide further assistance.
(Health staff wearing PPE – pic by Javed Anees under creative commons licence)
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