North Yorkshire firm's face visors could go to US hospitals

The firm says it switched to making visors to help with shortages in the NHS

A British firm making face visors says it might be forced to sell them overseas after its offer to supply the NHS was "ignored".

The Solution House, based in North Yorkshire, normally supplies branding to firms such as Google and McLaren.

The firm said it had switched to making visors to help NHS workers and taken on more staff to help.

The government said it was "working rapidly" to assess offers it had received from British firms.

It has already produced about 8,000 units and has taken on extra staff to help

Shaun Day, technical manager for the Tockwith-based firm, said they felt they were being ignored.

"Time after time they [the government] are saying there is a shortage [of PPE]," he said.

"We are offering to help and I can't understand why someone isn't getting back to us."

The firm said it had commercial quantities available and it had received interest from a group of hospitals in San Francisco.

Mr Day said they would prefer the visors to go to the NHS but would consider offers from overseas if no order was agreed.

A government spokesman said: "We are incredibly grateful for the thousands of offers of support from suppliers as part of the national effort to ensure that appropriate PPE is reaching the front line.

"We are working rapidly to assess these offers, ensuring they meet the safety and quality standards that our NHS and social care workers need, and prioritising offers of larger volumes."

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?

• AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise

• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

• MAPS AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the outbreak