BUSINESSES and organisations from across West Devon, East and North Cornwall have donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to Tavistock Hospital and local care companies.

Health and social care leaders in Devon asked for extra supplies to supplement those being delivered under the national scheme.

Hospital and social care workers nationwide have raised concerns about a shortage of protective equipment for staff dealing with patients during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Government had eased controls to ensure hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment reaches NHS and care staff more quickly, and says it has delivered hundreds of millions of items from national stocks.

Devon NHS asked for spare items of PPE including disposable plastic aprons and gloves, eye protection, face visors, alcohol-based hand sanitisers, liquid soal and paper hand towels.

Businesses stepping forward included Tinhay Building Supplies, Tavistock, Calweton Pet Health in Callington, Castle Veterinary Group Ltd, Launceston, National Trust Cotehele, Drake Vets, Tavistock, Ginsters, Homeleigh Garden Centre in Dutson, SW Podiatry Centre and The Mad American Barbershop, Launceston.

Jo Beniston, modern matron for Tavistock Neighbourhood at Livewell Southwest, said: ‘On behalf of the team at Tavistock Hospital, I would like to thank all of the local businesses who have kindly donated personal protective equipment over the past few weeks.

‘We are proud to be part of such a generous community and extremely grateful to everyone who has donated to us.’

l Tinhay Building Supplies has also helped staff from Kinship Connect, an independent care company based in Tavistock who visit vulnerable adults daily to provide them with care in their own homes.

Chloe Matthews, business support manager at Kinship Connect, said: ‘We contacted Tinhay in Tavistock on the off chance they may have some PPE stock we could purchase from them and without hesitation, they offered us the last of the stock of face masks for free and would not take any payment for them.’