Tory dither and delay means UK miss out on ventilators
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full FT article here (its paywalled)
Ministers say 8,000 ventilators under order should be available for NHS use over the next few weeks. The British health service already has access to more than 8,000 ventilators, but it estimates a total of 30,000 are required.
Several companies have complained that offers were not taken up to provide some of the additional machines needed to save the lives of people with acute respiratory difficulties caused by Covid-19. “They could have had probably 500 ventilators if they got back to me straight away,” Andrew Rayner, managing director of MEC Medical, ventilator parts maker, told the Financial Times. “They’ve missed the boat.”
The European Commission rejected UK claims that an “initial communication problem” with Brussels meant that Britain missed out on participating in the EU joint procurement of ventilators, insisting that the UK was fully briefed on the plans.
Ministers are already facing criticism for the slow rollout of coronavirus testing for doctors and patients, and for earlier problems in the supply of protective equipment for medical staff. With medical equipment suppliers around the world overwhelmed by orders, the UK government has encouraged the development of new ventilators, increased production of models made in the UK, as well as imports from overseas. But device makers feel they have been sidelined in favour of big-name manufacturers with no experience in the field and unproven models.
Dyson this week said it had received a government order for 10,000 ventilators designed from scratch, contingent on passing regulatory tests. Another company, which asked not to be named, said it had written to the business department at the start of last week offering to provide hundreds of ventilators for $15,000 each, but had received no reply.
“My concern is that the government actions don’t match their words,” said one executive there. “Matt Hancock stated that ‘if you produce a ventilator then we will buy it'. Instead the criteria seems to be 'if you can develop a new ventilator in the UK then we will buy it’.”
A separate proposal that could have supplied the NHS with as many as 25,000 ventilators from China similarly went unanswered until it was too late, according to two companies behind it.
Direct Access said it first contacted officials on 16 March with a plan to obtain manufacturing slots of 5,000 machines per week, which it conceived with Dubai-based Topland General Trading, as first reported by the Nantwich News. “Had quicker action been taken when we first contacted the client, we would now have supplied up to 15,000 ventilators with a further delivery of 10,000 within the next two weeks,” said Andy Faulkner, owner of Topland. “And yet now, there are currently none on order with lead times two to three months away.”
Officials said the government was going directly to manufacturers and working through Foreign Office channels. One aide suggested the idea was to purchase from the source rather than through middlemen. British overseas embassies have even been roped into trying to find sources of medical equipment.
The commission said joint European procurement plans — which were publicly announced weeks ago — had been clearly set out to Britain and other governments. “The member states’ needs for personal protective equipment have been discussed several times in the meetings of the Health Security Committee, where the UK participated”, a commission spokesman said. “At these meetings, the commission stressed its readiness to further support countries with the procurement of medical countermeasures if needed; so member states and the UK had the opportunity to signal their interest to participate in any joint procurements.”
British references to communication problems have left officials in Brussels perplexed. The joint procurement plans have been publicly highlighted by commission president Ursula von der Leyen and other senior Brussels officials in recent weeks to show how the bloc is helping countries to fight the crisis. Brussels says that the centralised process has the advantage of driving down the cost of procurement through bulk orders. It also reduces pressure on overstretched national administrations.
Ms von der Leyen said this week that the first call for tender, which covered protective equipment and brought together 25 countries, had led to “concrete offers of considerable scale on shortest notice”. “This is EU solidarity in action. It shows that being part of the union pays off,” she said. The spelling of the chief medical officer’s name has been corrected in this article.
Ministers say 8,000 ventilators under order should be available for NHS use over the next few weeks. The British health service already has access to more than 8,000 ventilators, but it estimates a total of 30,000 are required.
Several companies have complained that offers were not taken up to provide some of the additional machines needed to save the lives of people with acute respiratory difficulties caused by Covid-19. “They could have had probably 500 ventilators if they got back to me straight away,” Andrew Rayner, managing director of MEC Medical, ventilator parts maker, told the Financial Times. “They’ve missed the boat.”
The European Commission rejected UK claims that an “initial communication problem” with Brussels meant that Britain missed out on participating in the EU joint procurement of ventilators, insisting that the UK was fully briefed on the plans.
Ministers are already facing criticism for the slow rollout of coronavirus testing for doctors and patients, and for earlier problems in the supply of protective equipment for medical staff. With medical equipment suppliers around the world overwhelmed by orders, the UK government has encouraged the development of new ventilators, increased production of models made in the UK, as well as imports from overseas. But device makers feel they have been sidelined in favour of big-name manufacturers with no experience in the field and unproven models.
Dyson this week said it had received a government order for 10,000 ventilators designed from scratch, contingent on passing regulatory tests. Another company, which asked not to be named, said it had written to the business department at the start of last week offering to provide hundreds of ventilators for $15,000 each, but had received no reply.
“My concern is that the government actions don’t match their words,” said one executive there. “Matt Hancock stated that ‘if you produce a ventilator then we will buy it'. Instead the criteria seems to be 'if you can develop a new ventilator in the UK then we will buy it’.”
A separate proposal that could have supplied the NHS with as many as 25,000 ventilators from China similarly went unanswered until it was too late, according to two companies behind it.
Direct Access said it first contacted officials on 16 March with a plan to obtain manufacturing slots of 5,000 machines per week, which it conceived with Dubai-based Topland General Trading, as first reported by the Nantwich News. “Had quicker action been taken when we first contacted the client, we would now have supplied up to 15,000 ventilators with a further delivery of 10,000 within the next two weeks,” said Andy Faulkner, owner of Topland. “And yet now, there are currently none on order with lead times two to three months away.”
Officials said the government was going directly to manufacturers and working through Foreign Office channels. One aide suggested the idea was to purchase from the source rather than through middlemen. British overseas embassies have even been roped into trying to find sources of medical equipment.
The commission said joint European procurement plans — which were publicly announced weeks ago — had been clearly set out to Britain and other governments. “The member states’ needs for personal protective equipment have been discussed several times in the meetings of the Health Security Committee, where the UK participated”, a commission spokesman said. “At these meetings, the commission stressed its readiness to further support countries with the procurement of medical countermeasures if needed; so member states and the UK had the opportunity to signal their interest to participate in any joint procurements.”
British references to communication problems have left officials in Brussels perplexed. The joint procurement plans have been publicly highlighted by commission president Ursula von der Leyen and other senior Brussels officials in recent weeks to show how the bloc is helping countries to fight the crisis. Brussels says that the centralised process has the advantage of driving down the cost of procurement through bulk orders. It also reduces pressure on overstretched national administrations.
Ms von der Leyen said this week that the first call for tender, which covered protective equipment and brought together 25 countries, had led to “concrete offers of considerable scale on shortest notice”. “This is EU solidarity in action. It shows that being part of the union pays off,” she said. The spelling of the chief medical officer’s name has been corrected in this article.
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I don't understand why the government didn't introduce a "beaverbrook" strategy. I.e. Enlist. Existing engineering companies to mass produce existing components to ventilators that meet the criteria. In ww2 they produced spitfire parts in little sheds all over my town and assembled them into bigger sub assemblies in an underground car coach builders.
At present there's several companies with limited production capabilities with licensed products.
Meanwhile people like dyson are designing a completely different and unlicensed new product
At present there's several companies with limited production capabilities with licensed products.
Meanwhile people like dyson are designing a completely different and unlicensed new product
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True, and had my aunt been born with a pair of testicles, she'd be my uncle.
FFS, I can remember some on here complaining that the U.K. moved too fast in securing parking and ports when Brexit was in the news. Note to UK Govt. proceed at juuuust the right speed. Not to quick, not too slow. Follow our European partners - Italy, Spain. On second thoughts, don’t. Some people on here just like finding fault. You’re one of 'em.
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durhamplumber
Yes..you said....not the time for the blame game.
D
durhamplumber
Hahahahaaaaaa.....top line.... Ifs buts and maybes Notchy....The road to madness.
D
durhamplumber
Notchy has taken the helm nicely from Lal and Gal
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sodthisforfun
No, we don't want to follow them, not at nearly a thousand deaths a day.
We were warned that we were just a couple of weeks behind Italy a while ago...
That’s the only logic he has.
About 2 weeks ago.
jermey hunt says we will have a million cases in 2 weeks.
He said that earlier in the week. Will be interesting to see if his dark clouded crystall ball is accurate.
Italian (or was it Spanish?) doctor on R5L last night said that 86% of ventilated patients died .....
Stay isolated, safe safe.
Stay isolated, safe safe.
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EddieM
What's the general consensus of when those of us who can WFH may go back to the office.
My guess is probably September.
My guess is probably September.
Rubbish
The UK government were given first refusal to procure ventilators by Topland, they 1st spoke to govt officials on 16th March.
Note the date
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