Industry collaborates to bring a million items of PPE to NHS heroes

Laing O’Rourke has contributed more than 20,000 items of personal protective equipment in response to an industry-wide campaign to collate a million items of PPE for NHS staff urgently needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign, coordinated by Arcadis was initially tasked by NHS London with finding 250,000 PPE items over four days. Arcadis collaborated with over 40 organisations across industry including Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail, CBRE, Kelly’s, and Mace who all donated substantial volumes of equipment.

Together, the organisations quadrupled NHS London’s request, locating over a million items ready for collection or drop off including 150,000 gowns/coveralls, 650,000 masks and 420,000 gloves. A large amount of the PPE went to North London hospitals. 

John O’Connor, Laing O’Rourke’s Group Commercial Director, said:

“We owe an incredible amount to all those working in the NHS to keep us safe. Our project teams across the UK feel humbled that they have been able to support the national effort by sourcing more than 20,000 items of personal protective equipment from the stores on our sites for use by health workers across the country.”

Edel Christie, Managing Director - Buildings, Arcadis said:

“There has been an exceptional response from across the industry which we are proud to be part of. We’re now in the process of identifying potential new industrial supply chains capable of supplying thousands more items of PPE for our NHS heroes.”