Gamekeepers donate protective glasses to doctors in the Dales

GAMEKEEPERS AND moorland managers in the Yorkshire Dales have donated hundreds of pairs of protective glasses to local doctors facing a desperate shortage.

The Central Dales Practice, which runs GP surgeries in Hawes and Aysgarth, had issued an appeal for protective equipment after finding new stocks were not available until June.

Managing partner Lynn Irwin, married to a local grouse keeper, contacted his shooting estate to see if help could be found and within hours the Simonstone Estate had delivered its own pairs used to ensure shooters’ safety.

The resulting campaign has seen 225 pairs made available to 16 surgeries from the across the area’s shooting estates, and the Moorland Association is now calling on its members and shooting schools across England to extend the campaign.

Grouse keeper Marcus Irwin, who initiated the campaign, said: “NHS staff are putting themselves at risk on the frontline in the battle against the coronavirus, this is the least we can do to support our local doctors and nurses as they stand ready to care for our friends and families.

“We all need to do our bit to get

MARCUS IRWIN: ‘This is the least we can do to support our local doctors and nurses.’

through this, and we are committed to help in any way we can.”

There is a desperate shortage of eye protection across the NHS, campaigners say, with many manufacturers and suppliers claiming further stocks will not be available until June. Mrs Irwin said the surgery had found it impossible to secure any through its traditional suppliers.

Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association, said: “We heard last week that doctors and nurses were short of protective glasses and immediately started efforts to connect estates to local NHS facilities. We are prepared to do anything we can to help contribute to the national effort against Covid-19.”