How the Manufacturing Industry Has Supported the Healthcare Sector

The impact of Covid-19 has completely transformed the way industries across the world are working. Whether companies have had to halt operations completely, reduce their service or alter their ways of working, the virus has thrown everything we know into disarray.

The healthcare sector has been in overdrive over the last few months, desperately trying to get hold of essential medical supplies in the midst of a global pandemic. Fortunately, the manufacturing industry was ready and geared up to lend a hand and help stock hospitals with PPE and ventilators needed to cope with the growing number of COVID-19 patients.

Here is a closer look at some of the ways the manufacturing industry has been supporting the healthcare sector during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Manufacturing Ventilators

Early on in the crisis, there were concerns that the UK could not handle the demand for ventilators, with around 8,000 available but an anticipated need for 30,000. A number of plans were launched to help, including looking into buying more ventilators from manufacturing companies in the UK or overseas.

Multiple partnerships were formed to deliver ventilators to UK hospitals. Some of the biggest names in British manufacturing raced to step up to provide ventilators as part of the government’s call, such as Formula 1, Mercedes, Ford and Dyson. Some manufacturers started the production of new ventilators designed from scratch in an effort to increase the number supplied to the NHS.

Hundreds of ventilators have already entered hospitals, with more on the way. Additionally, a team led by UCL working with Mercedes are producing 10,000 new CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) devices to support patients. Thanks to the stepping up of these manufacturing companies that are scaling up production in response to this national healthcare emergency, these medical devices were delivered in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Delivering PPE

Back in April, the media focused heavily on the growing concerns that there was not enough PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for frontline staff. Many of the issues arose from the rapidly growing demand for PPE from the supply chain and the increased requirements for PPE across the primary and secondary healthcare contexts.

UK manufacturers stepped up to counter this shortage. In the same way that companies with no medical experience rose to the challenge of manufacturing ventilators, so too have non-medical companies started to tackle PPE. Clothing manufacturers such Burberry have offered PPE gowns and masks, and manufacturers like Rolls Royce and Jaguar have created visors. More than a billion items of PPE have been delivered to the frontline, with millions more expected over the coming months due to manufactures ramping up production.

Manufactures have been using their existing expertise to meet the growing demand to make protective equipment such as gowns, masks, gloves and aprons. The government say they are working with over 1,000 businesses to establish a British manufacturing base to deliver PPE to the frontline.

Hand Sanitiser

Hygiene and sanitation have been at the forefront of the fight against Coronavirus. The public was told that hand washing was of the utmost importance, and hand sanitiser saw a massive surge in sales to the point where supermarket shelves were empty, and they had to start limiting their sales to one bottle per customer to prevent consumer hoarding.

Now that businesses are starting to re-open, the need for hand sanitiser hasn’t lessened, with many companies now placing hand sanitation stations for their customers and workers to use on their premises. Drinks manufacturers such as Brew Dog began making hand sanitiser at their distillery amid the shortage, producing it around the clock to be given away to charities and the community. Many distilleries across the UK followed suit and began manufacturing hand sanitiser for public use.

Whether it’s donating supplies or manufacturing much-needed PPE, the manufacturing sector has stepped up to help the UK battle Coronavirus head-on. Through integrity and innovation, the UK manufacturing industry has been at the forefront of the national effort to tackle the virus outbreak and help the struggling healthcare sector.

Here at H & T Presspart, we have had to adapt to many different aspects of business operations to continue to supply pharmaceutical components to our customers. We provide precision-formed components to the pharmaceutical sector, such as respiratory drug delivery components and healthcare dispensers. Contact us today to find out more.