NIHR launches COVID-19 PPE Challenge

The NIHR Surgical MedTech Co-operative has launched its COVID-19 PPE Challenge to protect front line workers and keep health services functioning.

Surgery and other interventional procedures generate aerosols that can expose health care workers to COVID-19 infection. There is an urgent need to understand the challenges faced by healthcare workers in protecting themselves against aerosol contamination.

The Surgical MedTech Co-operative needs to know the real day-to-day challenges faced by front line healthcare workers in maintaining PPE, or simple, effective solutions that might be rapidly scaled up. Examples might include impractical ‘doffing and donning techniques’, communication difficulties when wearing PPE, modified snorkel face masks etc.

To ensure immediate impact, the Co-operative has a team of clinicians and academics on standby to receive challenges and solutions. The team will prioritise those challenges and solutions to present to the frontline during this pandemic and will update their website with them.

The Surgical MedTech Co-operative is asking its community to respond to its COVID-19 PPE Challenge in the following ways:

• NHS colleagues interested to lead on any of the ideas presented are asked to contact surgicalmic@leeds.ac.uk.

• Colleagues wishing to be involved in evaluating challenges and solutions are asked to contact surgicalmic@leeds.ac.uk.
• Companies with technologies that could be adapted quickly for the healthcare setting are asked to contact surgicalmic@leeds.ac.uk.
• Challenges and solutions should be submitted here.  

More information about the COVID-19 PPE Challenge can be found on the NIHR Surgical MedTech Co-operative website.