Taxi firm FonaCab helps deliver 4,000 vital face masks made and donated by medical tech companies

Locate A Locum have teamed up with Belfast based medical technology company Axial 3D to create and donate 4,000 face visors for the healthcare workforce across the UK and Ireland.

Locate a Locum’s recent partnership with AXIAL3D came about as a result of increasing concerns within the healthcare sector about staff illness on the frontline and the safety and wellbeing of the workforce. To assist in the delivery process, Belfast taxi service FonaCab are volunteering to deliver the face shields free of charge.

The 4,000 face visors will become available immediately to any frontline healthcare workers. Locate a Locum is using its database of locums, care homes, and pharmacy groups to identify where there is high demand for additional PPE equipment.

Jonathon Clarke, Locate a Locum CEO, said: ‘’It was crucial for us to secure face visors for the healthcare workforce who are continuing to work tirelessly to serve the community. It makes me proud to be a Pharmacist and I am overwhelmed how the Pharmacy profession has reacted to this challenge. Pharmacy Teams and other healthcare professionals, including the amazing staff in care homes are willing to put their own health at risk to ensure the health of their patients remains first priority. It is great for us to be able to give something back and help in some ways.”

He added: “We understand this is nowhere near as much as what is needed to counteract the problem however they hope that they can continue their work alongside AXIAL3D to help in the fight against protecting healthcare professionals so that they can continue to work safely on the frontline in the midst of this pandemic.”

Daniel Crawford, Founder of Axial 3D, said: "COVID-19 has severely depleted global stocks of PPE. Using our skills and equipment to 3D print and injection mould face shields is just a small way to combat this crisis, and to ensure our front line workers have the equipment they need to safely carry out their jobs. By teaming up with Locate A Locum, we are ensuring that pharmacists, locums and social care workers will have access to these face shields, kindly donated by our crowdfunder supporters."

William McCausland, FonaCab, said: “At fonaCAB we have always done our best to support our local communities, whether with sports sponsorship, raising funds and awareness for charities or investing in local neighbourhood development. Now, perhaps more than ever, we all need to come together as communities, whether local or business, to support our NHS and Healthcare Workers, our Pharmacy teams and so many others working at the frontline to keep us safe in these challenging times. We are delighted to have been approached, and to be able to add our resources to this generous initiative and would like to thank all those involved in making it happen.”