Coronavirus: F1 firms help to make ventilators work

The hospital was able to get the ventilators up and running for the Easter weekend

Two F1 parts firms have stepped in to help a hospital that received 35 ventilators to help with the Covid-19 pandemic but was unable to use them because they had no oxygen connectors.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust had managed to source ventilators for Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury.

However the connectors to link them to the hospital's oxygen supply are not expected to arrive for several weeks.

Good Fabs and Cavey Laboratories made the connectors in time for Easter.

The BBC understands that the ventilators came earlier than expected from the supplier, while the oxygen connectors are due to arrive as expected in a few weeks.

Easter surge

After receiving the ventilators, the Trust approached Good Fabs, based in Long Crendon, near Aylesbury, a motorsport design and manufacturing firm, which designed a connector manufactured by Guildford-firm Cavey Laboratories, a Formula 1 partner.

Cardiologist, and chair of medical procurement at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Dr Andrew Money- Kyrle said the two companies worked flat out for four days to make the critical valves.

The valves were then delivered to Stoke Mandeville Hospital on Friday, meaning the new ventilators were in use in intensive care wards in time for the expected surge in Covid-19 cases over the Easter weekend.

"Our staff and clinicians are working round the clock to care for our community and battle this virus. This weekend, some of our wider community pulled together to help us," Dr Money- Kyrle said.

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