A MAKESHIFT factory has been created in Hereford to manufacture vital PPE for the county's NHS hospitals and care homes.

Hereford's New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering has converted its administration offices to produce the items.

Operated 24/7 by NMITE staff, the factory has so far manufactured over 500 headshields, after their design was approved by clinicians at the NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit.

The NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG has ordered 1,000 headshields, each with five disposable visors, to distribute to regional care homes.

The NMITE team is currently working flat out to fulfil this, and more than 300 headshields have now been delivered to front line health care workers including those at Hereford County Hospital, local GP surgeries, Hampton House nursing home, and Wye Valley NHS Trust’s community palliative care team.

The university project is also collating and distributing masks, gloves and aprons for rapid dispatch to health care locations in need. NMITE is appealing to all local businesses who currently hold stocks of these in-demand items. Click here if you think you can help.

NMITE chief Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon said: “All the news has been about the need to supply PPE to front line health care workers, and we are responding by harnessing the capabilities of our team to deliver new engineering solutions to increase production and working closely with clinicians, senior NHS directors and our partners, including the local further education college and schools, to pool resources such as 3D printers.”

Beyond the factory and related logistics operations, NMITE accommodation at Gardner Hall and Miller Court is being prepared to be available to use by NHS and Herefordshire Council key workers as the demand on healthcare services and “lockdown” appear set to continue.