University of Chester donates vital supplies to support key workers tackling Coronavirus

University of Chester staff are pooling laboratory consumables for NHS and other front line care services across the region and helping to address the shortage of protective wear (PPE.)

University of Chester staff are pooling laboratory consumables for NHS and other front line care services across the region and helping to address the shortage of protective wear (PPE.)

Departments from across the University of Chester have been working together remotely to check inventory lists for items including: gloves; face masks; safety glasses; disinfectant wipes/fluid; hand sanitiser; blue roll; tissues; disposable lab coats and shoe covers and lab coats.

The items were located across three sites, Thornton Science Park, Creative Campus Kingsway and Parkgate Road Campus. A small number of staff undertaking essential duties in departments including Biological Sciences, Science and Engineering and Commercial Operations were involved in the physical packing up of supplies, ready for collection by local social care and NHS providers including Cheshire West and Chester Council, Countess of Chester Hospital and NHS Wirral CCG.

The University’s Biological Sciences Department has also supported Public Health England North West with donations of genetics reagents required for COVID-19 diagnostic testing to address shortages at testing facilities.

Professor Eunice Simmons, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, said: “Our staff have been so willing to step up to make this happen. We all know how hard the frontline staff across the NHS and Social Care are working - including many of our alumni and current students. To think that we can play just a small part in protecting them makes our University of Chester community very proud. We are already working in many innovative ways to support our students and staff at this difficult time and the donation of these consumables is a timely way to help the wider community across Cheshire.”