NHS Fife has established a new hub to distribute personal protective equipment to healthcare sites across the Kingdom.
The base has been set up at Whyteman’s Brae Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
Margo McGurk, NHS Fife director of finance, said: “The importance of PPE in reducing the spread of this virus is well-established, and our procurement and transport teams have worked closely with our clinical teams over recent weeks to ensure that our staff have ready access to appropriate PPE at all times.
“The scale of the operation to manage and distribute this volume of materials is unprecedented, particularly within such timescales, and was made possible by the hard work and diligence of staff working across a number of areas.”
NHS Fife said it was operating in accordance with national guidelines to ensure neither staff nor patients are exposed to potential harm at any stage.
The availability of PPE across the UK continues to be a source of concern for frontline workers.
Helen Buchanan, NHS Fife director of nursing, said: “We understand the anxiety of staff and their families; however, we are clear that we continue to have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment.
“Stock levels are monitored daily by our lead nurses and senior charge nurses and there is a clear line of escalation when additional supplies are required.
“The establishment of our new PPE distribution hub strengthens our position still further, and assists us to process our deliveries of PPE quickly and get it out to all areas that need it.”
The board’s supplies have been supplemented by a number of local businesses, which have donated approved face masks and other items.
Mrs Buchanan said the generosity of local people and businesses had been overwhelming.
“Our single biggest priority is to protect our patients and the healthcare staff who care for them,” she said.
“Such donations have supported us in making our services even safer in challenging circumstances, and we want to thank our local community for the ongoing support – it is very much appreciated.”
