General Chat

It is reported that we are importing protective equipment from abroad.

How come those countries have all that equipment to sell to us? Did they know something we didn't or are we, perhaps depriving Johnny Foreigner of the protection he needs?

probably repurchasing the stuff we bought then sold back to them in February. Who knows...…
There's plenty of scrubs being made in the UK by admirable stitchers but is that just a modern day 'any old iron'

Our manufacturing capacity is shot, Sharron, and companies have sold their equipment to all and sundry, a lot to the Far East.

The labels in our clothing is evidence.

I think it is our fault because we were played like suckers and fell for cheaper clothing prices years ago.

I wonder how long before we are paying what we paid when most of our clothing was produced in-house?

It'll be fait accomplit then. We need to do something now and the current situation couldn't make that more clear.

There's a school of thought which says some countries bought up stock worldwide just as this was starting and are now selling it back at higher prices.......

Why are companies complaining that they can make the PPE & approached the government but heard nothing back from them, they should be snatching their hands off & it would put workers back to work. Because they have'nt heard from the government they have sold it abroad, we have all heard it on TV. Disgusted.

Actually the UK does hav e the skills and capability to provide scrubs. The NI health service is currently getting them paid in the province.

would be UK makers a stymied by (a) a forest of regulations which the usual suppliers in Turkey and China are prequalified for (b) financial health ( the lockdown prettywell makes it sure they will fail on this one and (c) the NHS demands to deliver in quantities well boynd capacity of individual UK supplers.

It might be imagained that scrubs for the NHS made in the UK would be a great idea post crisis. However NHS Purchasing intends to go on with the usual foreign suppliers.

Scrubs ARE being made in the UK Rollo and have been for the last 5 weeks. Many communities are churning them out for their local hospitals! No imagination required on your part.

Yes, they are - and as Island wrote.

I know of someone who has been buying material and making them for our local hospital.

Of course there is still clothing production going on in the UK (for example F Chand and Carr & Westley - high-end stuff, and smaller outputs) but, ignoring the fact that there are statistics and damned statistics, much production is offshore. Scrubs would have been easier to come by if companies (M & S for instance) had not outsourced production.

I hope this changes but I still feel we must accept at least part of the blame because cheaper clothing appealed to the masses.

Slightly digressing...…

Joy, on the subject of cheaper clothing. Quality pieces work out much more economical in the long run and don't cause the disposal (HA!) problems created by cheap, trashy, badly made items.
We can only hope that a period without constant changes of clothing might make (predominantly) women realise 'fashion' is not a substitute for character.

Back to scrubs - what is it that makes nurses personality shine through?
Back to PPE

I think they have a hidden depth, Island. I have an ICU sister next door to me and I have never seen her any other way but cheerful. <3

Just going back to some of the earlier posts and being nit-picky - as I understand it scrubs are what is worn under PPE and, provided material and sewers are available, can be made anywhere. PPE manufacture has to be a bit more stringent.

I don't see what you mean Island.
The NHS consumption of scrubs is in the millions every week all the time. Small scale UK manufacturers can adapt easily enough to the scrubs regs but then encounter major barriers.
1 they cannot service the high volume contracts which are all that NHS purchasing is interested in.
2 even if they could make enough there is no volume source of fabric in the UK.
As JoyLouise says if M&S, NeXT and others had retained UK mfg then it could have been different.

Quite possibly the UK as a whole might choose to rethink its exposure to long distance supply chains post brexit. That is not however current brexit policy - UK firms will just have to live and die by WHO "rules" - the only country that chooses to do so.

Vera, scrubs form part of personal protective equipment.

The outer garments that you see - long or tops and trousers (and even aprons) - are described as scrubs. They have to be made of only two (I think) constituents, cotton being one.

I have seen people wearing hooded outfits too.

These are all essential for protecting the body.

Gloves, face masks, face shields (visors), goggles and close fitting headwear also form part of the ppe kit.

If I've missed anything I am sure someone will let me (and you) know.

Yes Vera, PPE is made from specific materials which has to pass stringent safety tests where as scrubs are washable (at 60) cotton fabric. PPE, I believe is single use.

Rollo. I don't think you read/understood my post correctly.