NHS Fife 'overwhelmed' by donations of PPE

NHS Fife says it has been "overwhelmed" with the levels of support it has had from firms and communities donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to staff.

The health board says it continues to receive regular supplies through established national procurement arrangements - but its supplies have been supplemented by businesses, which have donated masks and other items.

Several individuals have also offered donations of items made using 3D printers, including small plastic clips to improve the comfort of the masks
worn by healthcare staff.

NHS Fife's director of nursing Helen Buchanan said: "These small clips might seem insignificant but make a world of difference to
staff using masks in our clinical areas.

"Many of those wearing masks are doing so for much of the day, and these can become uncomfortable as they have to be tightly fitted in order to provide the necessary levels of protection.

"Such a small item makes the masks infinitely more comfortable without impacting on their effectiveness, and we are very much welcoming donations of these items by those wishing to do so."

The style and dimensions of items is available to view HERE.

However, visors created for clinical use need to meet safety requirements - and a process of formal certification cannot be done locally.

Margo McGurk, the board's executive lead for procurement and director of finance, said: "The generosity of local people has been overwhelming and our population should be in no doubt that this is very much appreciated by our staff.

"In Fife, we continue to have sufficient supplies of the PPE we require, including face visors. While the offers of 3D-printed devices are very much appreciated, we have a responsibility to ensure that any apparatus we use is tested rigorously or we risk placing staff and our patients at risk of unnecessary harm.

"The argument has been made that such devices are better than no protection at all, however, we are clear that we have adequate supplies of visors to ensure that all staff have the appropriate protection as per the national guidelines.

"Importantly, not all healthcare staff are required to wear visors and we are satisfied that we currently have sufficient quantities of such apparatus to protect those staff who are required to use them."

Recent developments include the recent opening of a new PPE distribution hub at Whyteman's Brae Hospital, which enables NHS Fife to provide supplies of PPE to workers locally.