Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the UK Government have delivered over 761 million pieces of PPE to 58,000 different health and care settings.
Over the Bank Holiday alone, over 16 million PPE items have been delivered to all four nations, including:
- 5.9 million aprons
- 2.4 million gloves
- 3.2 million eye protectors
- 750,000 FFP3 masks
- 130,000 gowns
The UK Government have adopted an ‘All Nations’ approach to PPE procurement, rather than singing up to the EU’s bulk buying scheme, which involves deliveries up to 4 months away, there will now be a co-ordinated effort to get PPE distributed to all four corners of our nation. This means that PPE for all of the UK will be co-ordinated centrally from the UK Government in England and then assigned to the Welsh Government in Cardiff for allocation and distribution.
I have been working closely with my colleagues to ensure that Wrexham and North Wales gets its fair share of PPE and other equipment needed to combat coronavirus.
We need to work together to support the Welsh Government and to ensure our ‘step down hospitals’ are ready when needed; North Wales has its own testing centres and analysis facilities; adequate allocation of Oxygen supplies; and, if necessary ensure that patients from Wales can continue to receive cross boarder health care provision.
Whilst I acknowledge more PPE is needed, it is not the time for political point scoring and opening old divisions brought about by Brexit. We need to be working together to ensure the UK’s supply chain of equipment remains resilient; we continue to deliver PPE, medicines; whilst keeping our supermarket shelves stocked up. Together we will beat coronavirus.
If there is anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to contact me on sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk or phone 01978 291742 | 020 7219 4885