Group sourcing PPE for NHS trusts seeks help from fashion manufacturers amid shortage fears

Coronavirus: the symptoms Read our LIVE updates on the coronavirus here
An NHS boss asked the BBC for the factory number of Burberry to see if they could make gowns
Getty Images

A member of a group sourcing personal protective equipment for some NHS trusts has attempted to contact fashion brands for support amid shortages during the coronavirus outbreak.

The man, said to be from a network of organisations looking to help with the supply, reportedly asked a BBC reporter for the factory phone number of Burberry, which has turned over its production to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke of a trust having "less than 24 hours supply" and that he was concerned about stock "[with the] weekend coming up".

As reported on BBC Radio 4, the man described Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s denial of a PPE shortage across the UK as a “fantasy”.

At the end of March, Burberry said it would repurpose its trenchcoat factory in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to produce non-surgical gowns and masks for hospital patients.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for health workers
Press Association Images

The crisis over shortages of vital protective clothing for doctors and nurses was recently laid bare with the leak of plans to start re-using disposable equipment.

A leaked document seen by the BBC revealed that some hospitals have begun laundering single-use gowns to preserve dwindling stocks.

Gowns and masks that are designed to be thrown away would be cleaned and reissued under “last resort” plans being drawn up by Public Health England.

Last week, Mr Hancock announced his plan to tackle the PPE shortage.

He said there is enough PPE to go around if it is used in line with official guidance , and his goal is that "everyone" working in a critical role gets what they need.

However, he acknowledged distributing masks, gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser to frontline workers is requiring a "Herculean logistical effort".

Mr Hancock will face questions from MPs today over the Government’s coronavirus response, a day after lockdown measures were extended for at least another three weeks.

The Health Secretary is expected to be quizzed on PPE and an exit strategy as he appears before a virtual session of the Commons Health Committee.

Burberry is just one manufacturer ordered to make equipment crucial to fighting Covid-19.

Derbyshire-based firm David Nieper has begun its production of NHS scrubs
PA

Louis Vuitton, Derbyshire-based David Nieper and Philip Treacy have also offered their services to make PPE for hospitals.

Asked why her company had decided to start making the garments, Dame Margaret Barbour told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’ve always had a very good relationship with the Royal Infirmary in Newcastle and they were one of the first hospitals to treat coronavirus patients.

“I contacted them and they were delighted when I offered to see how we could help because I have a lot of machinists.

“They did ask me … if I could make gowns – this was the middle of last week – and by Friday I had nearly 300 gowns for them.”

Ms Barbour said she hoped her company could provide around 23,000 gowns over a three-week period.

This story has been updated. The original headline and article said the request for help had come from a director of an NHS trust based on a report from the BBC. The BBC has now corrected this information.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in