Hospital technicians turn to producing face visors

A technique has been developed by hospital technicians to produce more than 100 face visors an hour.

Staff at the orthotic department at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow have turned to making the visors to boost supplies and plan to pass their design to hospitals across the country.

They are now appealing for material to make the protective equipment.

Orthotic technician Ian Adam said there are currently 55 visors in the hospital and he was inspired by colleagues in the Isle of Wight to turn to producing them in the face of rising demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “We do have these visors in the hospital but the demand is going to go through the roof. Stock is going to run out very quickly.

“It’s not a cost thing, it’s more in terms of supply.

“We’re hoping to build up a stock so our hospital doesn’t run out and we don’t have situation where we have to clean and reuse them.”

He added: “The only thing we need is the acetate sheet that makes up the visor.

“Most of our outpatient clinics have been cancelled and we’re a skilled workforce that can produce anything at the drop of a hat.

“This is the kind of thing we can be doing. We can produce more than 100 an hour.”

The visors consist of a headband created from material in the department along with a disposable acetate screen.

Mr Adam and his colleagues first put out an appeal for acetate on Wednesday morning and supplies have already began arriving.

He said: “It’s been great. We’ve had people who have said they are going to buy it from Amazon and drop it off.

“We’ve had a company come round and drop a big roll off and other people offering help with laser cutting.”

Anyone who can help with supplying 0.2-0.5mm acetate sheets is asked to contact orthotic lead Melville Dixon at melville.dixon@ggc.scot.nhs.uk