Coronavirus: Where is our PPE coming from?

As time has passed the quantity of PPE has increased, or moreso, the distribution to our frontline care staff has ensued.

With coronavirus cases rising daily and PPE being limited, questions around where our protective equipment is coming from have started to surface.

A key issue with obtaining the quantity of PPE needed for a rapid covid-19 response, is that importation of equipment from Asia has become more difficult as a result of the outbreak.

Shipping goods from China to the UK is a relatively normal route for manufacturers and suppliers to take, however this option takes around a month of travel from port to port.

Comparatively, flying the goods to the UK takes approximately one day. However, this option has become much more limited than usual, due to the lack of passenger and commercial planes.

This means that with fewer options than before, transit of PPE has become slower whilst the need has become greater.

To meet the demand for PPE, the government has called on manufacturing industries to help in the fight against covid-19.

• British Suppliers

Companies across the country have risen to the challenge of adapting and diversifying their usual production methods to produce PPE and ventilators.

Engineers at The Royal Mint in Llantrisant, South Wales, have developed and begun producing a medically approved visor design which is currently in use at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The Royal Mint were able to design their successful prototype within 48 hours and are currently producing around 5,000 masks per day for the NHS.

A spokesperson for The Royal Mint commented: “We are extremely proud to be supporting the NHS during this time. It has also been a massive morale boost, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response form employees and the community.

“These are challenging times, and everyone wants to feel like they’re making a difference, we’ve had staff turning up to help in their spare time.”

Amtico is a Coventry-based floor manufacturer that has altered its facilities to help produce 20,000 parts for protective face shields per day. The company has modified the design of the headband to ensure its efficiency and comfort for frontline NHS care workers.

Another company working on face visors is Composite Integration, based in Saltash, Cornwall. The prototype shields have been reviewed and accepted by NHS Plymouth. The company is aiming to manufacture approximately 2,500 visors a week for key workers as demand continues to grow.

Scottish company Plexus is manufacturing ventilators for the NHS at its facility in Kelso, in the Scottish Borders. The business is well-qualified to support the design, development and production of critical medical equipment.

Plexus also manufactures several other essential medical devices, including diagnostic equipment, patient monitors, CT scanners and MRI machines.

Ronnie Darroch, executive Vice President and Regional President of the EMEA, said: “We are proud to be a part of this opportunity to produce a substantial number of ventilators that will be deployed in hospitals across the United Kingdom.

“I also would like to thank the courageous medical professionals of the NHS who we are honoured to serve.”

As the world continues in its fight against the coronavirus, the demand for PPE and ventilators will increase.

British companies working hard to develop and diversify their usual practices, to support the NHS, play a key role in the success of the covid-19 response.