Helping Where We Can: Supporting the NHS with PPE

It all began with an article in the Oxford Mail newspaper with the headline “Fears over safety gear as local coronavirus death toll hits 11”. After discovering that front-line nurses were ill-equipped with basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – exposing them to the risk of contracting the Coronavirus – I was extremely concerned. I realised we had essential PPE stock, such as safety goggles and gloves, in our warehouse so I put a plan together to get these supplies out to the hospital in Oxford.
Read the inspiring article from the Oxford Mail here.
To get the ball rolling as quickly as possible, I arranged for Carousel to pick and pack the safety materials we had to spare. As soon as they learned how necessary it was for NHS workers to receive replenishments of PPE, Carousel immediately dispatched the items. While this was happening, I contacted Tim Hughes – the Features and Music Editor at Oxford Mail who wrote the news story – to find out the best person to reach out to at the hospital. I was put in touch with Gary Welch, Director of Procurement and Supply Chain at Oxford University Hospitals who arranged for me to drop off the PPE at their stores.
With more COVID-19 updates and casualties increasing every day, we wanted to help the NHS staff even more. As my colleagues at Empiribox had connections with the James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth and the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton, we discovered we could extend our support to these two hospitals when they really needed it.
Find out how you can help to donate to charity during the COVID-19 crisis now.
From all of us at Empiribox, we want to express our utmost appreciation for the NHS workers who are going above and beyond to save lives from the frontline. Stay safe and we’ll be clapping for you every Thursday at 8pm #clapforyourcarers!
By James Kilroy, Operations Director