Royal approval for Midlothian teachers’ PPE production

Friday April 17th 2020

Covid-19 Visors Midlothian

Hana Petrie (left) with Aileen Hall and Katherine Malone, alongside Andrew Hay

Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp

Teachers who have been producing 3D visors for frontline health and care workers received praise from the Royal Family for their efforts.

Staff at Lasswade, Newbattle and Beeslack High Schools in Midlothian have joined together to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) visors for workers across the Lothians.

And Newbattle’s team were sent a special thank you from the official Royal Family Twitter account as they worked across the Easter holidays to meet demand.

The tweet said: “A sincere thank you to all staff @newbattlehigh who are teaching 90 per cent of classes online, distributing digital devices, providing home learning and staying open for key workers’ children.

“They have even begun to create face shields for NHS and care workers using their 3D printer!”

newbattle-Royal-Family-Tweet

Technical staff at all three schools are using 3D printers and acrylic laser cutters to make the perspex PPE which is being distributed.

Midlothian Council leader Councillor Derek Milligan said: “We know that teachers are still incredibly busy delivering lessons both remotely and at our community hubs, so to know that these teams are also finding time to produce PPE is astonishing to say the least.

“What they are doing will help keep valued staff safe, from those working out in communities or care homes and NHS teams at the local community hospital.

“The visors have also been sent to other services in the Lothians. Many, many thanks to all the technical teams involved. We cannot stress our gratitude enough.”

Andrew Hay at Newbattle and his team have already produced more than 200 visors while Hana Petrie and her team at Lasswade delivered the first 40 of their visors this week.

They plan to laser cut at least 400 to distribute within the local community.

Meanwhile at Beeslack Conal Kelly has also been producing the equipment but is now working from home.

Staff nurse Aileen Hall from Midlothian Community Hospital, which is based in Bonnyrigg, and Katherine Malone, from the council’s Highbank Care Home in the town, thanked the schools for the equipment, which Aileen described as “very comfy” and “a godsend when enduring long hours under difficult circumstances”.

Katherine said the visors were a requirement for anyone looking after the most seriously ill patients with coughs in care homes and who are being cared for at home.

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