Urgent call for industry to donate gloves & masks

A group of volunteers is urgently calling for the beauty and wellness sector to donate unused Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, visors and medical gowns to distribute to frontline NHS staff.

Run by 160 volunteers including Lizzie Badger of Face The World Ltd and the Therapist Business Club, Med Supply Drive UK has so far collected over 9,000 pieces of equipment in just seven days. 

Med Supply Drive UK has been inundated with requests from healthcare workers desperately seeking PPE. Currently the organisation has in excess of 200 requests on their database, and only half the amount of donations pledged to cover these.

The group is specifically looking to source surgical masks, FFP2 (N95) masks, FFP3 masks, face shields/visors, goggles, non-latex gloves, medical/surgical gowns, medical scrubs, disposable overalls, antiseptic wipes/spray, hand sanitisers, Tyvek/hazmat/bodysuits and specialized PAPR respirator hood gears.

They are also requesting A4 acetate sheets that can be used to construct face-shields. Working with the National 3D Printing Society, Med Supply Drive UK have managed to manufacture and send out 300 face shields to date.

Dr Jasmine Ho, a NHS doctor from London who founded Med Supply Drive UK, says: 

“Every frontline NHS staff has a basic right to have adequate protection in their workplace during this COVID-19 crisis. With all those unused and redundant PPE lying around in the community, what better place for them to be now than in the hands of our frontline staff in desperate need for it?”

For more information and to arrange donations, visit Med Supply Drive UK's website.