The team was set up shortly after the Coronavirus outbreak
in a response to calls from the UK Government to industry
for support for frontline healthcare workers.
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) experts led a
270-strong ‘New Buy PPE’ team of volunteers from the NHS
and other governmental bodies including the Cabinet Office
and Department for Education to progress at pace
submissions to the Department of Health and Social Care
(DHSC).
Defence Secretary said:
The dexterity and resilience of the MOD procurement team
has been outstanding. They have rapidly navigated complex
procurement contracts and organised effective logistical
support to ensure billions of vital PPE items reached the
frontline as soon as possible.
Defence has proven itself time and time again when asked
to play its part in this pandemic and we will continue to
do so as long as required.
Currently, orders for more than 10.9 billion items of PPE,
worth in excess of £5.8 billion, have been submitted to
DHSC for approval. Of these, orders for 9.7 billion items
of PPE have been approved including 4.9 billion gloves, 3.2
billion face masks, 811 million aprons, 565 million safety
glasses and 156 million gowns with suppliers all over the
world.
Sir , DE&S CEO,
said:
DE&S has some of the UK government’s leading experts
in the fields of procurement and technical quality
assurance and we take great pride in the assistance that
our people have been able to provide to support the NHS
and wider social care need in the response to Covid-19.
Overcoming many challenges, not least working remotely in
an unfamiliar market and with new stakeholders, the New
Buy PPE team has worked tirelessly and collaboratively
with colleagues from the NHS and across government from
the outset and this remarkable milestone indicates how
focussed they are on getting vital PPE to the NHS front
line.
DE&S’s 10 billion items contributes to a total of 28
billion items of PPE ordered by a government-led consortium
of industry, overseas partners and the armed forces to
provide a continuous supply to health and care workers
tackling coronavirus.
DE&S has 11,500 staff, most of whom work at their
headquarters in Bristol. Defence Equipment and Support
(DE&S) equips and supports the British Army, Royal Navy
and Royal Air Force with a vast range of items, from jets
and warships through to armoured vehicles and field
kitchens.
