Now’s the time for the UK to take back control of its PPE Supply Chain
The Covid pandemic has taught us many things, one being the need to prepare and be prepared.
PPE resilience has to be the UK’s goal, to ensure the secure supply of highquality protection for the NHS and its frontline workers – as well as for other care, dental and hygiene industries.
Canadian company Medicom is extremely proud of its partnership with the British government, supplying our
Kolmi® medical masks to the NHS – the type IIR standard Op Air™ ask and the FFP3 Op Air-Pro™ mask, which filters out 99% of all airborne particles.
The experience and expertise we’ve gained from 45 years of PPE manufacturing tells us that we must learn the hard lessons from the early days of the pandemic, when the demand for PPE was overwhelming. As we move into a post-pandemic world focused on economic recovery, the UK has a massive opportunity to develop a much more resilient PPE approach.
Many companies in the UK stepped up to the challenge to deliver PPE for the Government and NHS. Medicom made a significant commitment to the UK, with a multi-million pound investment to develop our new factory in Northampton. The result is a world-leading facility.
We have also ensured that we can source raw materials in the UK, to ensure a resilient supply chain. Such investments support the economy and other businesses. We have created more than 250 jobs in Northampton.
It’s often suggested that PPE manufactured in the UK can’t compete with cheaper imports from the Far East. This is a myth:
Quality: not all masks are made to the same standard. Medicom manufactures the highest quality medical and respiratory Kolmi® masks.
Safety: not all masks are manufactured in the same safe setting. At Medicom’s hitech Northampton site, our masks are made in a particle and microbiological controlled ISO clean room of 10,000 m3. We are the only UK PPE manufacturer with such a facility.
Carbon Savings: not all masks are as green. All Medicom’s UK products are produced using UK materials – including the filters which are made in Wales. This means our masks have a much lower carbon footprint than Asian imports.
Sustainability: not all masks have the same sustainability credentials. Medicom recycles spare materials from our production processes so they can be re-used.
Waste: not all masks have the same shelf life. Medicom masks remain viable for five years – more than twice as long as imported equivalents. This avoids product and financial waste, and makes PPE supply more resilient.
There are other wider benefits too. Significant post-Brexit international investment like Medicom’s supports the UK’s manufacturing and product innovation base, and provides people with employment and training.
“As a Canadian company, we’re on board to grow our presence and investment in the UK. By building on PPE partnerships longerterm, the Government can secure the future resilient supply of PPE to protect our NHS frontline, provide an optimal environment to grow and innovate our businesses – and also signals that the UK is open for global business post-Brexit.”