Three small Welsh manufacturing businesses are joining the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) by producing scrubs for Wales’ healthcare heroes, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters has announced.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
A Clydach firm which specialises in the production of flags for films, TV, festivals, and castles among other uses, and two independent seamstresses, from Swansea and Carmarthen, will all be making vital supplies to support the NHS in Wales.
Work is under way at Red Dragon Flagmakers, which has already received fabric, while seamstresses Tesni Owen and Bethan Jones Boutique are set to start producing scrubs this week.
Welsh Government linked them with Alexandra, a UK-based company that supplies the NHS with scrubs but is heavily reliant on overseas markets for both material and production, after securing a large amount of fabric from within the UK market when it was notified the Far East and sub-continent would be partially closing down production due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
It also managed the logistics of delivering fabric from Alexandra to the three companies to speed up the production process and support the supply chain.
Together the three businesses will produce 1,000 scrubs per week.
Bethan Jones, of Bethan Jones Boutique, said:
As the owner of boutiques in South Wales it is an honour for myself and my team of skilled staff to work in association with the NHS at this difficult time. In the fight against the COVID 19 virus it is vital that all front line workers are protected. In the production of the necessary PPE, assurance is given that all the possible safety will be given to the wonderful people who risk their lives in the fight against the virus.
Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said:
The response to the First Minister’s call for help in making PPE from Welsh companies has been fantastic.
As a result we are currently self-sufficient in manufacturing scrubs in Wales for the first time, and the efforts of these three businesses will bolster that further.
There are few positive stories as a result of this pandemic but bringing back overseas jobs producing critical medical equipment and anchoring them into our Welsh economy is most certainly one.
Our healthcare heroes are doing an incredible job saving lives by providing high-quality care for people with coronavirus, and we will continue to do all we can to support and protect them.