By KLTV Newsdesk
The organisations that make up West Yorkshire Prepared, the region’s Local Resilience Forum (LRF), have been working to find solutions to meet the ongoing demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline workers in the region.
There have been a number of issues in ensuring the required volume of PPE is delivered to frontline workers in hospitals, care homes, and other health and care settings.
LRF partners in West Yorkshire have been working collaboratively to ensure supplies of PPE are delivered to those most in need and have also been sourcing new lines of PPE within the region.
Established in 2004, West Yorkshire Prepared is a multi-agency partnership, consisting of emergency services and local authorities across West Yorkshire.
Their aim is to identify, plan, and prepare for major civil emergencies such as COVID-19.
Using data supplied by Local Resilience Forums, much-needed shipments of PPE have been sent out to regions for redistribution to frontline workers in social and primary care.
West Yorkshire has to date received seven PPE deliveries, which have included:
- Over half a million aprons/gowns
- Over 300,000 facemasks
- Almost 170,000 goggles/visors
- Over a million pairs of gloves
- Over 10,000 bottles of hand sanitizer/handwash
The list includes more than 2 million items in total, sent to 26 different locations across the West Yorkshire.
Kirklees Council is responsible for receiving and sorting these deliveries.
Essential items have been distributed by emergency services including West Yorkshire Fire Service, to health and care settings across the county.
Jacqui Gedman, Chief Executive of Kirklees Council said: “Kirklees Council staff, partner organisations, and volunteers have been working around the clock for weeks to get critical supplies to frontline workers across West Yorkshire.
“They all deserve huge credit for their professionalism and sheer hard work under difficult circumstances.”
“This has been an amazing team effort and I would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment.
“I know they have had to respond to deliveries quickly at all hours of the day and sometimes at night to make sure this kit gets to the keyworkers who need it.”
In addition, Leeds Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) have been working on behalf of West Yorkshire Prepared to source to source extra lines of PPE from the region’s business community.
Businesses that have been verified as being able to produce and/or supply small or large quantities of PPE are put in contact with regional NHS procurement leads to get the stocks to where they are most needed.
Robin Tuddenham, Co-Chair of West Yorkshire Prepared, said: “We really appreciate the efforts and support of local businesses and partners in providing PPE they’re not using, or manufacturing new PPE to boost supplies.
“We know some businesses are going the extra mile to do this, and we thank them all for their amazing efforts and kindness.
“Our partners within the Local Resilience Forum continue to work hard to address the PPE shortage to ensure key workers and our most vulnerable residents get the protection they so urgently need.”
Mel Pickup, CEO for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Working together to support each other with mutual aid when necessary has been key to ensuring colleagues receive the PPE they need regardless of where they work.
“There are no walls or boundaries.
“Our aim is to have enough PPE to keep all staff protected and to ensure local reserves are stored and available to draw upon when needed now and in the future.”
Anyone able to help in the supply of PPE is asked to visit www.the-lep.com/ppe for further information.