Activate your sewing machines for the NHS.
We cannot hit the required PPE procurement through the usual methods, so pivot to add more products. How do we do this? Mobilize the Great British public.
- Get a small team together with a clear leader (MOD; BBC; Royal Mail, a bank) and the backing of the Cabinet;
- Publish all the designs and specifications for PPE online;
- Set up a receiving station such as MOD Donnington with a testing station;
- Get the Great British Sewing Bee to create a specialist programme to make examples of the product;
- Open the material shops on a short term basis to supply qualifying material;
- Ask the British public with a sewing machine to make a product;
- Print off a submission form from the web and include it with the goods;
- Post to a Freepost address at the receiving station;
- Test the goods, those accepted can be stored at MOD site chosen;
- Put accepted goods through sterilization;
- When sufficient sterilised goods ready, make into loads for appropriate health care settings, to be delivered by the MOD;
- For all product accepted, pay a standard payment which you announce at the start (upper quartile of the last tendered price would be fair) with an option to donate the cash to the NHS Charities;
- Bank organizes the payments (from a Government-funded account) as they are used to processing small amounts (the existing government system is too complex and this is a short term one-off activity);
- All product rejected return at Government’s cost with thanks and the reason so that they can correct and resubmit;
Relatively quick and simple to do and all products irrespective of colors patterns etc. would be gratefully received by front-line staff. Cost is not the driver here, it is getting the right kit to the front line and lots of it.