Member Article

Chamber International identifies overseas stocks in UK hunt for healthcare protective gear as deaths soar

The UK’s global search for personal protective equipment (PPE) is being supported by overseas trade specialist, Chamber International, which is working to source items from overseas to help guard frontline hospital staff against Covid-19 when caring for patients with the deadly virus.

Chamber International has set aside a significant proportion of its operational capacity to trace overseas stocks of PPE and other items, including hand sanitizers and disinfectants, after UK stocks ran low, and it was confirmed that 119 NHS staff have died, not including those in care homes, after contracting Covid-19.

So far, by working with importers in the UK and The Republic of Ireland, Chamber International, has identified large quantities of PPE in China, Italy and The Netherlands, which have been relayed to the UK Government through its procurement web portal.

In addition, trade specialists at Chamber International have identified a supply of hand sanitizer wipes, which currently await quality standard testing to see if they meet EU regulations before they can be imported to the UK.

Chamber International director, Tim Bailey, says: “The speed at which coronavirus has spread has taken countries across the world by surprise and in the UK the number of NHS health workers who have died as a result of their work is shocking.

“As there is such urgency in the need for supplies, we have set aside time for our trade specialists to scour their contacts in the UK and around the world to help source PPE and other items for the NHS.

“Several large quantities of items have been located in China and Italy, The Netherlands, South Korea and Turkey and, while hand sanitizer wipes still await tests to see if they meet EU and UK standards, we have notified the Government about these stocks and how we can help bring them to the UK urgently and await its response.”

Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters throughout the UK with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mike Clarke Communications .