April 10, 2020 10.05 am This story is over 47 months old

North Hykeham school makes 1,000 face visors for Lincoln hospital

It also provided visors for staff at Bassingham Surgery

Dave Palethorpe, head of DT and Art at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy, is making the plastic face visors.

A Lincoln school has delivered 1,000 plastic face visors to protect staff in three wards at Lincoln County Hospital, and Bassingham Surgery, during the coronavirus crisis.

Sir Robert Pattinson Academy on Moor Lane in North Hykeham now has capacity to produce another 2,500 items of personal protection. A GoFundMe page was created, but it was shut down after two days because it had already raised £1,270, which is enough to produce the extra items.

The face visors are being made in the school’s design and technology department after headteacher Dale Hardy spoke to friends and neighbours who worked at the hospital.

They told him supplies of PPE were low and, after discussions with Dave Palethorpe, the school’s head of DT and Art, he agreed to supply the visors to the hospital.

The first batch was collected by hospital staff last Friday.

Sir Robert Pattinson Academy has delivered 1,000 plastic face visors to protect staff at Lincoln County Hospital and Bassingham Surgery.

Since then masks have been produced for staff in the critical care and radiography departments. Additional items were also given to the hospital’s x-ray department and Bassingham Surgery.

Headteacher Dale Hardy said: “The school has always placed a great deal of emphasis on playing a positive role in the local community and it’s at times like this that it really matters.

“When I heard how desperate hospital staff were for personal protection items, I was confident we could help and with Dave’s agreement and commitment we have been able to produce hundreds for NHS staff with hundreds more in the pipeline.

“If our efforts can help protect just one member of staff or patient from contracting this appalling virus then it will have been worth the effort.”

A member of staff from Lincoln County Hospital wearing a face visor made by Sir Robert Pattinson Academy.

A spokesman for the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust said: “We are extremely grateful to the staff at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy for providing this vital equipment, the support we are receiving from the local community is making a huge difference.

“These visors will play a significant part in protecting our staff and patients.”