Vital supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) have reached North Somerset and are being dished out to carers in frontline roles.

North Somerset Council has received a delivery of ‘much-needed’ PPE, which includes aprons, gloves, facemasks and cleaning equipment which will help to protect carers during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the supplies are expected to last for just a week and the council is desperately appealing for more donations.

The authority put out an urgent plea for donations of PPE last week due to a nation-wide shortage, which has led to many carers working without protective equipment.

As soon as the items arrived locally, the council organised it into smaller batches for distribution to care homes and home care providers across North Somerset.

Cllr Mike Bell, executive member for adult social care, said: “These supplies are desperately needed to ensure that those working locally to provide care to the most vulnerable people in our community are protected and can protect the people they are caring for.

“It has taken much longer than we would have liked for the supplies to arrive, but now that they’re here our teams have worked swiftly to get them to where they’re most needed.

“But they won’t last forever. The items we’ve received today are expected to last for about a week, so I urge the Government to do more and keep the stocks coming. A sustained supply of PPE is vital in the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“And again, I would like to extend my thanks, and that of my fellow councillors, to everyone who is working so hard to deliver care in such challenging circumstances.

“Understandably, the NHS efforts to battle this disease occupy many of our news headlines, but we must not forget the role of our care homes and home care providers. They too are working incredibly hard and deserve our recognition and respect.”

Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum (LRF) received more than one million pieces of PPE which was given out to local authorites across the South West, including North Somerset.

Anne Clarke, who represents the adult social care sector across the Avon and Somerset LRF area said: “On behalf of all my colleagues, I would like to thank everyone who has

played a part in the mobilisation of this PPE supply over the weekend, from the LRF and local authority leaders who have raised the urgent need at every possible opportunity and at the highest level, through to the military planners who have done an amazing job to arrange the receipt and sharing out of the supplies, to the local authority teams who have organised collection and onward distribution at such short notice.

“It is so important for the people we provide care to and to the care workers themselves who are doing such a brilliant job at this challenging time and also for their own families’ protection as they return home each day.

“It is a real recognition of the critical role adult social care services have to play at this time.”

Any businesses that can help with the supply of PPE are asked to email COVIDdonations@avonandsomerset.police.uk