Back to Contents In response there was an increase of innovation activity in the PPE industry and we helped to support these innovators to bring their products into the NHS . This included companies that were developing reusable equipment , and those researching how to effectively use it and in turn to help develop a greener and more consistent supply of PPE for our healthcare providers .
Working closely with our colleagues at North East North Cumbria ( NENC ) AHSN , we triaged high volumes of new suppliers , found alternative suppliers of PPE in areas that were experiencing shortages and conducted first stage due diligence , which was fed back to healthcare providers . Many of the PPE suppliers were smaller operations or new to the PPE market . As such they did not meet national requirements to join the NHS Supply Chain , but often had high-quality products in demand by NHS providers .
Together the AHSNs assessed 200 new suppliers against PPE standards , with stock and contact information for around 500 companies . The AHSNs went on to work with partners at regional Local Enterprise Partnerships , local resilience forums , the North of England Commissioning Support Unit , and other networks across the whole of the North East and Yorkshire and Humber regions on innovation and economic growth opportunities as well as supporting the innovators with product development .
Wearing PPE correctly and safely
We continue to support new innovators to help ensure NHS staff have access to a safe supply of PPE . For example , we have been working with Blue Mirror , a training tool that helps staff understand how to wear and dispose of PPE safely . Blue Mirror provides a scalable PPE training buddy using artificial intelligence on a tablet . The system provides a real-time visual and audio guide to users , advising on the next steps of the protocol whilst also highlighting errors as they are observed to support safety and continual learning with compliance reporting .
200 new PPE suppliers were assessed against PPE standards
500 companies were contacted to maintain stock and contact information
Impact Report 2020-21 13