The production of ventilators within the UK as part of the Ventilator Challenge came to a close last weekend.
It is anticipated that as part of this project, 14,000 devices have been produced in around three months, accounting for over a half of all of the ventilators which are now available to the NHS frontline.
Additionally, the Penlon ventilator has been awarded the CE mark, which means that the device, which was newly adapted for the Ventilator Challenge, is now available for export abroad.
The programme formed a key part of a successful three pillar strategy to increase the number of mechanical ventilators, with over 25,000 devices now available in total to the NHS. This is a significant increase from 9,000 before the start of the pandemic. It is important to note, however, that over 2,500 have been imported from abroad.
The government’s strategy involved procuring devices from overseas, scaling up the production of existing devices and calling on manufacturers who do not make ventilators, to help design and build new models.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The Ventilator Challenge has proven just how much Britain can achieve when confronted with a difficult problem – bringing together the best minds in manufacturing, innovation and design.
“Thanks to these efforts, everyone who needed a ventilator has had access to one, and the NHS has the vital machines it needs to continue providing life-saving support against this deadly virus.”
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove commented: “The Ventilator Challenge has been a great success and I would like to thank every manufacturer and designer, and their incredible workforces, for the huge part they’ve played in the national effort to protect our NHS and save lives.
“In around three months, industry has stepped up to make 14,000 new machines to save lives on the NHS frontline and to help safeguard against any future outbreak.
“The Ventilator Challenge has shown that UK manufacturing always rises to the challenge at a time of national need. Everyone involved is truly a hero of the coronavirus crisis.”
Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock added: “We protected the NHS during this global pandemic. The impact of Covid-19 showed the best and the brightest stepping forward to serve their country. The response the government received to this challenge was astonishing.
“Alongside the government’s wider ventilator strategy, the Ventilator Challenge has played a crucial role in ensuring everyone who has needed a ventilator during this pandemic has had access to one.”
Following the Ventilator Challenge, the NHS now has a readily available supply of devices that will enable the health service to have resilience of supply for possible future pandemics. Additionally, there are also around 11,000 non-invasive ventilators and almost 5,000 CPAP machines available to the NHS across the UK which were not available before the start of the crisis.