A FORMER medic is urging local people making personal protective equipment for NHS workers to go through the Doctors Association UK so their PPE can be directed to where the need is greatest.
Kath Manning, now the climate change officer at Redditch Borough Council, volunteered to work for the association during time off from council duties.
She said: “Lots of people are trying to help out, which is brilliant, they are working on their own, doing crowdfunding and an organisation like the Doctors Association UK can help match those supplying the PPE to those areas where there is a need.”
The lack of PPE for health staff has become one of the main issues of the coronavirus pandemic in this country.
Doctors, nurses, carers have found themselves without proper visors, face masks, gowns and even scrubs bags which infected clothes can be put into for washing.
It’s spawned a cottage industry of big hearted citizens 3-D printing headbands, making visors, cutting, sewing and stitching scrubs and buttoned headbands for face masks.
This has happened right across the country, not least in the Redditch, Bromsgrove, Studley and Alcester area where an army of volunteers have been supplying medics right across the country with desperately needed PPE.
Doctors Association UK have been working with Messly to develop an app for doctors – available at http://NHSppe.com – where they can give details of shortages and then be put in contact with trustworthy organisations who may be able to help.
Kath has been helping to coordinate with these partners, who crowdfund and source PPE to send wherever there is a need, whether doctors, nurses, paramedics or other care staff.
From there they’ll make sure the PPE goes to wherever the need is greatest, whether doctors, nurses, paramedics or other care staff.
Dr Jenny Vaughan from Doctors’ Association UK said: “Sourcing and distributing PPE is a formidable challenge.
“We are working with NHS Hero Support, Let’s Beat Covid and Scrub and Facial Protection Hub to get PPE on the ground to places where we know there are shortages.
“These organisations are funded by charitable donations and are run by volunteers.
“If you are able, please do consider making a donation to enable them to expand their efforts.”
https://faceprotectionhub.org/
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/letsbeatcovid
To contact the Doctors Association visit https://www.dauk.org/
