Scots factory to make 70m face masks for the NHS
●Biggest UK order of its kind to create 450 jobs and help secure PPE supplies
More than 70 million face masks to help the battle against coronavirus will be manufactured in Scotland after a landmark deal struck with the UK government.
Technology giant Honeywell will take on 450 workers at its base in Newhouse, North Lanarkshire, to carry out the contract, making it the UK’S largest supplier of the masks.
Around 4.5 million items will be made at the site each month for frontline health and care workers, with production set to begin in early July.
The deal will see FFP2 and FFP3 masks produced and UK ministers say it marks a significant milestone in their “make” programme, which seeks to get UK industry manufacturing more personal protective equipment (PPE) for domestic use.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “As well as creating 450 new jobs and boosting the local economy, it is great a company with manufacturing facilities in Scotland can help ensure our heroic frontline workers have the PPE they need to carry out their lifesaving work.
“Our Uk-wide strategy is continuing to manage and supply protective equipment to the people that need it in all four nations.”
Both the UK and Scottish Governments have faced ongoing criticism over the lack of PPE being delivered to frontline staff since the onset of the outbreak.
There has also been ongoing concerns about the reliance on distribution networks from abroad to provide PPE, with claims that many suppliers have been ramping up prices as demand rapidly outstrips supply.
The deal announced today will seek to allay those criticisms, and ministers insist more than 1.25 billion items of PPE have been delivered to health and social care workers since the outbreak began. the uk government has
ordered 70 million of the FFP2 and FFP3 Honeywell Superone disposable respirator masks that will be manufactured at the site near Motherwell.
These are certified to the highest international PPE standards, compliant with EU regulations, and must meet UK quality and safety standards before being delivered to healthcare settings via the NHS supply chain from July.
Will Lange, president of Honeywell’s PPE business, said: “As a global leader of high quality personal protective equipment, Honeywell is committed to getting safety gear to those who need it most, including workers on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19.
“Our Newhouse facility has both the physical capacity and technical capabilities to launch a large-scale respirator production line in such a short timeframe, and we are proud of our teams who are bringing new manufacturing capabilities to the United Kingdom as quickly as possible to support the country’s response to the pandemic.”
UK ministers say new collaborations between the government and organisations including Amazon, the Royal Mint and Jaguar Landrover, will see increased production and delivery of all PPE products.
Lord Deighton said: “From design right through to delivery, we want to optimise every opportunity as we work to ensure vital pieces of equipment reach the frontline.
“The recently launched ‘make’ programme aims to increase our homegrown PPE supplies, now and in the future, by investing in UK manufacturing.
“This fantastic deal announced with Honeywell marks a significant step as the programme gets underway.”
Last week it was announced that more than one million surgical gowns are to be jointly-produced by a group of Scots-based firms to ensure frontline staff get the protective equipment they need.
The Scottish Government has revealed that contracts between NHS Scotland and a number of Scottish-based companies will strengthen and expand the supply of vital protective gowns in Scotland, securing long-term stock levels. Forfar-based Don & Low will supply around 2.8 million square metres of the base material required. This will then be converted into around one million non-sterile gowns byredwoodttmltdandkeela, who are based in Wigan and Glenrothes respectively.
Keela will also work with manufacturers Transcal and Endura, both based in Livingston, to deliver these Scottish supplies.