Millions more items of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline staff have been delivered to NHS services across the country in the last few days as part of the fight against coronavirus, NHS England has announced.
GP practices, hospitals, ambulance trusts, GP practices, pharmacists, care homes and hospices have all been receiving additional supplies over the past week. Over the last three days, more than 200 organisations received fresh supplies of facemasks and other PPE. Additionally, from this week the army will offer service personnel to help to manage and offload supplies in busy NHS settings, helping to distribute and deliver urgent contractor PPE supplies to the frontline during the coronavirus epidemic.
‘In the face of this unprecedented global emergency, never has the need to bolster our workforce and arm them with the vital tools they need to save lives been more crucial,’ said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
‘We are taking urgent action to ensure dedicated frontline NHS and social care staff – who are working tirelessly to tackle this outbreak – feel supported. Today they are getting millions more PPE kits as part of that promise. We are working round the clock to make sure trucks are on the ground across the country delivering protective equipment to all who need it, so they are well-equipped to continue to fight the virus.’
According to figures released by NHS England, every GP practice, dental practice and community pharmacy has now had a PPE delivery. Additionally, home care providers, care homes, and hospices are receiving deliveries with every provider receiving at least 300 facemasks.
‘We need massively increased, urgent volume of these supplies to the frontline in this exceptional set of circumstances,’ said Emily Lawson, chief commercial officer for the NHS.
‘Working with our partners, we are now seeing much increased capacity, and a more responsive supply chain to help take us through the coronavirus outbreak. We are extremely grateful for the army’s support in doing so.’