Prisoners Drafted In To Make Vital PPE For NHS At 'Third Of Going Rate'

Prisoners are set to start making personal protective equipment for NHS staff, as part of a national effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

As reported by The Telegraph, inmates will be helping to make visors, scrubs and bags for front line workers, amid weeks of complaints regarding a lack of PPE.

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Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said that eight category B and C jails from across the UK have been asked to help, which should help hospitals to save money, as well as keeping staff safe.

For their hard work, prisoners will be paid £12.50 per week, with the items then being sold on at a third of its usual price, with scrubs costing £5 instead of the usual £15.

Prisons entered into the new scheme include category B prison High Down in Surrey, as well as prisons in Swansea, Wakefield, Channings Wood in Devon, Risley in Cheshire, Highpoint in Suffolk, Whatten in Nottingham and New Hall in West Yorkshire.

Mr Buckland said: "Staff in our NHS are doing an incredible job and I'm delighted that inmates are supporting them by producing equipment to help keep them safe."

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The lack of PPE for front line staff has been an ongoing issue throughout the crisis.

Planes have flown in from countries around the world, including Turkey and China, with PPE, but it's not been enough to properly protect the staff who need it.

Volunteers have also stepped in to help, with even a 15-year-old lad making visors on his 3D printer, with many crowdfunders set up in order to raise money to equip the NHS.

Sufficient PPE is one of the five rules that the UK needs to satisfy, as set out by Dominic Raab, eventually leading to the beginning of a return to normality, and the relaxation of lockdown.

They are:

1. "We must protect the NHS' ability to cope. We must be confident we are able to provide sufficient critical care and specialist treatment right across the UK."

2. "We need to see a sustained and consistent fall in the daily death rate from coronavirus so we can be confident we have moved beyond the peak."

3. "Reliable data from SAGE showing the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels across the board."

4. "We need to be confident that the range of operational challenges including testing capacity and PPE are in hand with supply able to meet future demand."

5. "We need to be confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that overwhelm the NHS."

Topics: uk news, Coronavirus

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. After a few years working on festivals and events, she went back to her roots. In her spare time, Amelia likes music, Liverpool FC, and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@ameliasward