Crofton School in Stubbington makes scrubs as vital PPE contributions to NHS
A TEACHER has been turning her skills to making scrubs for key workers on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Textiles teacher at Crofton School, Laura Griffiths, has been making the protective overalls, which prevent people’s own clothes from potential contamination, to help fill the shortfall being experienced in the health and care sectors.
Laura, who has sewn together more than a dozen of the overalls, said: ‘There has been a huge shortage and some of the scrubs have gone to care homes and doctor’s surgeries. There has also been a shortage in hospitals as staff are having to change them more regularly. Some of them have also gone to the Holiday Inn chain which have been converted into temporary hospitals.’
Laura decided to make the outfits after seeing a Facebook group post from nurse, Ashleigh Linsdell, appealing for scrubs to support NHS front-line staff.
‘The initiative now has over 50,000 members,’ Laura added. ‘Organisations put in their requests and a co-ordinator for each region then drops them off where they are needed. The response has been brilliant. It has really brought people together as well as giving people something useful to focus on during the pandemic.’
The scrubs project is just one of a number of initiatives in which the school’s Design and Technology Department have been able to ‘do their bit’ to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) across the region.
Staff have made and supplied more than 200 face shields to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Rowans Hospice and Cams Ridge nursing home in Fareham, as well as making scrubs bags for worn garments to be placed in to help prevent the spread of infection. A number of shields have also been taken home by key worker children for parents to use.
Head of department, Nicky O’beirne, said: ‘There has been a real need for this equipment and people have been very grateful. In the face of adversity I think it has been fantastic to see design and technology departments from schools across the region coming together to use their expertise to help supply PPE.’
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