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Schools and undertakers come to council’s rescue over PPE

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School children, dentists and undertakers have come to the council’s rescue by providing vital PPE for frontline staff and care workers, after the Town Hall failed to order in or stockpile sufficient equipment ahead of the covid-19 lockdown.

Croydon Council failed to stockpile adequate PPE equipment before the crisis

The council issued a press release just before the weekend to thank the businesses and organisations that had come forward to provide the PPE – personal protective equipment – required by those workers who might be exposed to coronavirus while performing their duties.

The council blamed “the national shortage” of PPE for its own failings in procurement.

The council has twice in the past month made public appeals for donations of equipment that can be used in its care homes. It had been reported that some care home staff had been reduced to utilising bin bags and Marigold rubber gloves.

“More than 40 businesses and schools from across Croydon have donated thousands of items ranging from gloves to goggles, masks to hand sanitisers to help combat the spread of covid-19,” the council’s propaganda department grovelled in its press release, which was not sent to Inside Croydon.

Croydons dentists practices have been better equipped than the council

“West One Dental Supplies in Sydenham Road, central Croydon, and Natureza Dental Practice in Portland Road, South Norwood, are among the businesses that helped. Both companies generously donated items including gloves and water-resistant face masks.

“Zankruti Patel, dentist-owner at Natureza Dental Practice, said: ‘I saw the appeal on the council website. It was overwhelming to try and choose where I should send the PPE so I went to the council. I knew I wanted to support something in my local community and knew the council would be able to get the supplies to someone local.’

“Other significant contributions saw Rowland Brothers on Whitehorse Road, Selhurst, provide 750 protective goggles and Ethical Stationery on Sprout Hill [sic], Addington, provide 1,000 bottles of handwash, while schools across Croydon have kindly donated protective goggles from their science labs.”

The council press release did note that the staff in the Town Hall purchasing department had managed to source some supplies, more than a month into the pandemic emergency. “The council’s procurement team have purchased 100,000 aprons,” the press release stated, not at all reassuringly, “and continue to follow up all offers of PPE to ensure frontline care providers are supplied with this vital equipment.”

So that’s all right then.


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