A unique collaboration between UHMBT, Globus Group and Training and Testing Services (TTS) is providing staff with increased protection and peace of mind with mobile face fit testing facilities.
Leading international PPE manufacturer Globus Group, headquartered in Manchester, has partnered with UHMBT to provide face fit tested respirators for frontline staff.
The partnership has been delivered in collaboration with TTS, a mobile face fit testing service, to give additional support to frontline workers’ safety and wellbeing.
Alpha Solway HX-3 respirators have been provided to frontline workers across the UHMB Trust, and TTS were in place at Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital in Barrow to facilitate face fit testing – making them the first hospitals in the UK to use this service.
Correctly fitted FFP3 respirators have been shown to be overwhelmingly effective against Covid-19 infection and results from the programme so far have been overwhelmingly positive.
Tom Fraser, Tactical Administrator in the Covid Command Centre at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, said: “Protecting the safety of staff and patients is a priority at UHMBT. The TTS fit testing service has boosted our mask-fitting capacity when we needed it, allowing us to maintain patient and staff safety as we respond to rising infections across the region.
“With the day-to-day situation changing rapidly and different areas of the Trust being exposed to infection, Globus Group and TTS fit testing has helped to ease the pressure on the mask-fitting service and has been timely and valuable as we support the normal functioning of the Trust in unusual times.”
Adam Birtles, Area Sales Manager at Globus Group, explained: “Since the start of the pandemic, our healthcare team has worked to deliver high-quality PPE to the NHS, with our main aim of helping to protect frontline workers across the UK.
“In supporting the implementation of the products and the Trust’s health and wellbeing strategy, our team has been integral in implementing a long-term foundation for face fit testing moving forward. We’re honoured to be working with such dedicated and inspirational individuals.”
Jo Wood, Business Partner at Training and Testing Services, added: "We are delighted to be able to assist University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay with their current face fit testing programme. Our team of fit2fit accredited testers have been able to use our mobile testing unit – currently the only one of its kind in the UK, to facilitate the testing of hospital staff on their site with minimum disruption.
“The self-contained, air conditioned, covid secure facility enables staff to visit the unit for their face fit test throughout the day. With our team working daily from 8am to 8pm we are able to support the trust at this critical time.”
Globus Group has already established partnerships with a number of other NHS Trusts across the UK to help assist with their Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) needs, and to gain an understanding of how to adapt and innovate improved PPE for the future.
A well-established, widely respected PPE manufacturer, Globus Group has committed to producing 75% of its PPE products in the UK. This commitment has been accelerated during the pandemic and Globus invested in two new UK manufacturing facilities in 2020. This helped to secure a reliable supply of high-performance of PPE, as well as allowing the company to focus on its innovation programmes for developing better fit and higher levels of respiratory protection.
ENDS