LISTEN: NI businesses may be forced to stop making PPE over 'absurd' Department of Health strategy

A Co Down baby product business that designed a 'Hero Shield' for frontline NHS staff in just three days is struggling to get them into hospitals due to "complicated" paperwork, despite the rules being relaxed.  

There are now fears that the local production of the potentially life saving Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) could be halted. 

Adam Murphy (41) who launched the project last month is blaming it on the procurement process which has so far prevented any orders being placed by the Department of Health. 

"We started putting things in place weeks ago but production only started on Friday," he said. 

"It's turned out to be a very complicated process with the Department of Heath. 

"We eventually got a request to send the items for review, but they lost them and we've had to resend.

"That was a couple of days ago and we have had had no feedback. 

"We need cashflow to keep doing it, so if we don't get more money we will have to stop."

Mr Murphy co-founded Shnuggle with his wife Sinead more than a decade ago following the birth of their first child. 

The Newtownards firm specialises in dreaming up ways to make bath time, bed time and changing time easier for all involved. 

But when orders from customers in over 40 countries around the world began to dry up, the team of 19 staff shifted focus entirely. 

"Within three days we devised a final concept for a face mask that we could begin working on immediately," the managing director explained. 

"We all heard doctors and nurses crying out for PPE from hospitals across Northern Ireland - they are all saying they really need it and can't get it.

"But now we've had to pause new orders because demand is outstripping supply."

The company's lead designer began working from home on Friday, March 21 and came up with 20 designs over the weekend. 

Using a 3D printer Fiona Bennington had a prototype by Monday morning. 

"But we are not a manufacturing company," Mr Murphy explained. 

"And the scale is humongous."  

The design engineer reached out to other experts which resulted in companies throughout Northern Ireland coming together in a time of crisis.  

It resulted in the launch of www.heroshield.net where NHS workers can place personal orders to secure the vital safety equipment completely free of charge. 

Over a dozen local companies are helping manufacture the face shields at a low cost of £0.50 per unit. 

However the not-for-profit collective has come up against procurement obstacles within the Department of Health and has resorted to crowdfunding to allow medics to keep placing orders directly - raising almost £24,000 so far. 

While Mr Murphy praised the generosity of people, including Argento owner Pete Boyle who has put up £10,000 of his own cash to keep the project afloat, he said it cannot be sustained.  

"We've raised enough to get started but not enough to keep us going," he said. 

"We need more money and are thinking of ways to fund it - so far the public has been very generous.

"We can get these off the line for an amazingly low cost but we need cash flow to keep it going."

With 10,000 face shields already shipped - and another 50,000 to be dispatched this week - Mr Murphy has been forced to put the brakes on new orders.

"It seems absurd that all the focus is on importing PPE from China when local suppliers - who have a quality product at low prices which can be dispatched immediately - are being ignored," he said. 

A spokesperson for the Department of Health confirmed that measures have been taken to make the process easier as a result of the urgency presented by the coronavirus crisis.  

"HSC is making use of the provisions within the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 that permits organisations to set aside normal tender procedures and negotiate directly with suppliers," it said. 

However they did not comment on the specific concerns regarding the future of the Hero Shield initiative.

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— Shnuggle (@Shnuggle) April 6, 2020