Brian highlights the contributions of local business and the need for carers to get personal protective equipment
It’s been another long and difficult week for everyone. Once again, we’ve seen that this virus can affect anyone badly. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fit and healthy or even if you’re Prime Minister, COVID-19 can still hit you hard.
Whenever a loved one has a health scare, it’s a difficult thing for friends and family to deal with. Even more so now, when visiting them isn’t an option. One of the things that should bring us all comfort is knowing that the staff working in Scotland’s NHS and across the wider social care sector are putting in tremendous effort to save lives. With all the focus on coronavirus, it’s easy to forget that the NHS is still delivering vital care to thousands of Scots every day. Every condition that existed before we heard of coronavirus, from cancer to accidental injuries to mental illness, still exists today.
As we continue to clap for carers on Thursday evenings, we should also remember the thousands of people across Scotland who are still working to deliver our vital services and support the NHS. While we might still be in the early days of fighting the virus, so many businesses and organisations across the area are already stepping up to help. William Grant & Sons Distillery are making millions of litres of ethanol for hand sanitiser and setting aside the profits to help the area deal with the impact of the virus. Food producer We Hae Meat have been taking on extra staff, including many who normally work in the hospitality sector, to keep up with demand. In Stewarton, Lochaven International, who made the Hogwarts uniform for the Harry Potter films, have turned their hand to face masks. These are just a few examples of the countless businesses and staff who are continuing to go to work each day to deliver vital services.
Despite all these efforts, there is still more we can do. It’s increasingly clear there are still challenges around getting personal protective equipment to everyone who needs it. I know there seem to be particular issues in the care sector, but also in some hospitals and other settings. We shouldn’t underestimate the scale of the challenge in obtaining and distributing the millions of gloves, masks and gowns that we need, but we need to get this right. As the number of cases continues to increase, it’s vital that care homes, who are shielding many of those most vulnerable to the effects of the virus, have the support they need.
I’ve already been in touch with the Scottish Government about this issue, as have many of my fellow MSPs, but if your workplace is struggling to get hold of PPE, please get in touch with me and I’ll do my best to help. Likewise, if you have some supplies of personal protective equipment that you don’t need and want to send it somewhere it can be put to use, please contact me either by e-mail or leave me a voicemail – [email protected] / 01563 544399.
Stay safe.
- Brian
