Coronavirus: Sellafield to donate 20,000 gowns to NHS workers

Sellafield says it is using its "knowledge of the supply chain" to source PPE

The Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria has pledged to donate 20,000 gowns to NHS workers and care staff.

As part of a £200,000 initiative, it is also supplying items such as masks, disposable suits and lab coats.

The company said it wanted to honour the "courage, compassion, and commitment" of healthcare workers.

Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Slattery, chairman of Cumbria's Local Resilience Forum, said it would "potentially save lives".

Sellafield said about 5,000 gowns should be ready by the end of the week, with a further 2,500 to be delivered each week for the next six weeks.

They will be distributed to NHS facilities across the county, according to need identified via the Local Resilience Forum.

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Sellafield chief executive Martin Chown said: "We all know how vital it is to ensure healthcare workers have access to the right protective equipment to safeguard themselves, their patients, and their families.

"Gowns were identified as being in particular short supply ... and our knowledge of the PPE supply chain meant we could quickly establish a reliable route for high quality items via a national manufacturer and a local distributor."