Posted on Thursday 21st May 2020
The county council acted early to buy supplies of PPE so that care homes didn't run out.
The number of gloves, masks, aprons and other safety equipment delivered by Staffordshire County Council to the care frontline has now topped one million.
The distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has helped ensure that every care home and every care provider in Staffordshire has what it needs to care for the most vulnerable in the county during the pandemic.
Alan White, Staffordshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said:
We knew there was a global shortage of PPE and that’s why we stepped up to make sure no care home in Staffordshire would go without the PPE it needed if it ran out.
Since the start of the pandemic in the UK we have now delivered more than one million items of equipment to ensure our care workers in Staffordshire have what they need to do their jobs safely."
The one million pieces include:
- face masks
- gloves
- respiratory masks
- disposable aprons
- goggles
- visors
- gowns
The council has already pledged almost £18m to the care sector to help them through the crisis – in addition to the PPE.
The Government has also announced another £600m for the care sector, with Staffordshire set to get a share of almost £10m.
Alan added:
We said from the outset that we would do whatever we can to help keep people safe, care for the most vulnerable and help care workers do what they do best, looking after our most frail and elderly residents.
We have now distributed more than one million items of PPE and we will continue to do everything we can to support our workers in the incredible job they are doing during this pandemic.”