Innovia Face Visor Update 1.3million Visors for the NHS
Updated 12.05.2020
The Innovia UK division is pleased to confirm that they will be supplying the NHS with 1.3million Face Visors, these will be manufactured jointly between their DTR Medical and Network Medical sites.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges, the biggest being how we protect our frontline workers.
At the start of March the UK division of Innovia Medical, Network Medical in Ripon, North Yorkshire and DTR Medical in Swansea, Wales began working with the USA division Summit Medical in Minnesota, to find a way to switch their standard Medical Device production to PPE, specifically Face Visors.
During the 4 week planning stage in March DTR Medical and Network Medical reached out to their existing UK customers who include NHS Supply Chain, local NHS trusts and private hospital groups. In addition to contacting the local and national government.
On the 28th April DTR Medical received an order from the DHSC (Department Health and Social Care) to supply 50,000 Face Visors a week, for 26 weeks.
A total of 1.3million Face Visors will now be produced between DTR Medical and Network Medical for direct supply into the NHS. The Network Medical team are currently in discussion with regards a 2nd contract to supply a further 600,000 Face Visors to the NHS.
Due to the size of the orders both sites are now at full capacity with 100% of production being sent to the NHS. No new orders will be accepted at this time and no Face Visor stock has been exported outside the UK since production started.
The scale and speed at which the team has worked has been outstanding. Not only has each manufacturing site had to rework production space but also source new raw materials and retrain production operatives alongside office staff to work as an efficient assembly line.
In order to reduce infection risk, maintain social distancing and keep production running DTR Medical and Network Medical have enlisted the help of existing employees and their family members living in the same household.
The team are currently working in shifts with both sites operating 7 days a week to ensure the vital PPE is delivered to our NHS heroes.
In addition to meeting customer demand, each manufacturing site has been producing Face Visors to support their local community with donations. This has been a great morale booster for all involved with the Innovia group encouraging team members to continue to nominate friends and family in need.
Read the official goverment DHSC Press Release here