WORCESTERSHIRE County Council has delivered more than 1,000,000 items of PPE during the coronavirus pandemic.

The council says the deliveries have been vital in helping to ensure that care homes, domiciliary care providers, social care staff, schools, GP surgeries, dentists and other organisations have been able to continue to deliver key services during the pandemic.

There were national shortages of PPE, but Worcestershire schools, businesses and members of the community rallied round to sew scrubs, make hand sanitiser and visors.

Roger Garland, chief officer at Crossroads, a charity that cares for the elderly, said “Whilst we have always had a good supply of PPE certain items such as fluid resistant face masks have been difficult to access.

"This is due to the Covid -19 being a global pandemic where almost every country including non-health professionals are using or trying to obtain the same limited supplies.

"We have worked hard to source our own PPE requirements and in the early days of the pandemic, were very fortunate and grateful to have received donations of goggles, safety glasses and face masks from mechanics and ‘tool hire’.

"We also found some Facebook contacts who helped enormously."

A total of £1.3million has been spent by the council procurement team in response to Covid-19 to ensure PPE, food and accommodation is in place for those that need it.

Councillor Karen May, cabinet member for transformation and commissioning, said: “The efforts of our procurement team have been simply extraordinary during the pandemic, they have played a huge part in helping keep key services going, by ensuring organisations have all they need to carry on.

"One million items delivered is a milestone we can look back on with real pride. Worcestershire has really pulled together and proved it really is Here 2 Help during this pandemic, and it has been wonderful to see everyone doing what they can.”

"Part of the money spent has been used to help create a stockpile which will be available to be used in the response to any local outbreaks or if the supply of PPE is disrupted in the future."