While writing this article, I hope everyone is well and safe, wherever they are right now. The sudden disruption of our lives has impacted not only our businesses but all of our lives and daily routines. All ears to the news circulating around the COVID-19 crisis, as most of us are right now, it has been inspiring to see that NHS frontline workers are fighting the pandemic in such a heroic and selfless way, with more than 12,000 former NHS staff even volunteering to return and endanger their own lives to save others, along with hundreds of thousands of volunteers. It was also heartbreaking to discover that they are saving the country and putting themselves at great risk without having the proper PPE required to do their jobs.
“Doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals want to do the best in this pandemic and we want to look after our patients and support people who are ill but not having the correct or the best protective gear puts us and patients at risk. It’s very disheartening when you hear of colleagues talking about the way that they feel they are like cannon fodder, sent out to die”, Dr Frances Mair said in an interview for the BBC News. Read the article here.
As we are currently in the comfort of our homes, NHS frontline workers are carrying an incredibly difficult battle against the pandemic with very little protection. This doesn’t just endanger their lives and the lives of their loved ones but it also increases the transmission risk with other people, including patients in the hospitals where they work who haven’t been yet infected with COVID-19.
As of today, several NHS frontline workers have unfortunately already passed away and our thoughts and prayers are with their families. We thank all of the NHS staff for their heroic work and we are deeply grateful for their sacrifices. We need to do our best to help the NHS in any way possible.
First of all, the best way in which all of us can help is by following the restrictions and advice coming from the government and the NHS. That being said, nothing will help more than respecting the lockdown regulations, only going out of your home if it is truly essential to do so. Washing your hands and maintaining your distance when you do need to go out is crucial to ensure we minimise the risk of getting infected and lowering the number of patients that require healthcare services. During a crisis like this, we feel it is our responsibility to directly contribute ourselves in any way we can to help the National Health Services, as well as our families and friends.
This is why we started Frontline Justice, an initiative created by myself and Kajol Patel, a dear friend of mine, to help raise donations to provide protective gear to NHS frontline workers. All donations will 100% be converted into supplies. At the moment, the equipment is not reaching frontline workers fast enough, endangering the lives of all NHS staff and hospital patients, which is why we teamed up with MedSupplyDrive UK, an organisation founded by NHS doctors, to ensure that the equipment is sanitised and distributed appropriately to hospitals where the supplies are needed the most.
They receive real-time information that enables them to deploy supplies. You will also receive photos and videos of the donations being handed over to the hospitals. We use certified PPE providers and manufacturers as well to ensure that we acquire the appropriate equipment and the supplies are going straight to MedSupplyDrive UK. We also keep the equipment in sanitised warehouses to ensure that it is kept well. The prices we have been quoted are substantially lower than retail prices and due to the amount of PPE, is in between £1-£4 per FFP 3 Mask.
We are very grateful for everyone who has donated and contributed to our cause so far, we have reached 31% of our goal and it is incredible to see the support of those around us. If you want to join the fight against coronavirus, you can contribute here: and please share this with your network, friends and family in order to help the NHS as soon as possible.
