New NHS Fife PPE distribution hub opens at Whyteman's Brae in Kirkcaldy

A new hub has been opened by NHS Fife at Whyteman's Brae in Kirkcaldy to distribute personal protective equipment to the Kingdom's healthcare facilities.

The health board says it's important staff are given what they need, in order to protect them and their patients, as well as limit the spread of coronavirus.

It adds a major operation has been taking place in recent weeks to distribute large amounts of equipment to healthcare staff across Fife.

NHS Fife's Director of Nursing Helen Buchanan said: "We understand the anxiety of staff and their families; however, we are clear that we continue to have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment.

"Stock levels are monitored daily by our Lead Nurses and Senior Charge Nurses and there is a clear line of escalation when additional supplies are required.

"The establishment of our new PPE distribution hub strengthens our position still further, and assists us to process our deliveries of PPE quickly and get it out to all areas that need it."

Margo McGurk, NHS Fife's Director of Finance, said: "The importance of PPE in reducing the spread of this virus is well-established, and our procurement and transport teams have worked closely with our clinical teams over recent weeks to ensure that our staff have ready access to appropriate PPE at all times.

"The scale of the operation to manage and distribute this volume of materials is unprecedented, particularly within such timescales, and was made possible by the hard work and diligence of staff working across a number of areas."

This latest development is amid general concern by healthcare workers and their relatives across the UK over the availability of PPE.

Yesterday, new guidance was issued on what equipment care workers north of the border can wear, after concerns were raised by trade unions.