98,900 items of PPE donated to our local NHS

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from Keele’s research and teaching laboratories has been made available to the frontline NHS workers who are responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

As the NHS responds to the most significant public health crisis in decades, all parts of the healthcare sector have reported a shortage in PPE used by healthcare professionals to protect themselves when treating infected patients.

But now a collection drive by staff has seen stocks of PPE from Keele’s laboratories made available, not only to the Royal Stoke Hospital but also General Practitioners across North Staffordshire.

98,900 items of PPE donated to our local NHS Keele University has now amassed a collection of almost 100,000 items of PPE, comprising of:

  • 93,750 pairs of gloves
  • 3,200 disposable aprons
  • 1,200 facemasks (including FFP2 and FFP3)
  • 280 surgical gowns
  • 200 masks with visors
  • 150 pairs of protective glasses
  • 120 sets of disposable scrubs

Professor Paul Horrocks, Director of Medical Sciences, said:

“Clearly the first call for this PPE is our colleagues in the frontline of the NHS response to Covid-19. However, we hope that as provision of this PPE increases to the NHS that the stocks held at Keele University may then be donated to those working in the charitable sector who are providing care as well as schools providing emergency childcare cover. It has been really affirming to have had colleagues across the University respond so rapidly and generously to this call.”