Redesign of PPE to achieve rapid decentralised manufacturing, reusability and increased savings for the healthcare industry

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This project proposes the redesign of the key pieces of PPE currently used by the NHS in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.Current levels of demand for PPE are at their highest levels in living memory. A surge in hospitalisations has lead to depletion of national stockpiles and considerable distribution challenges. An additional lack of PPE manufacturers in the U.K. has greatly increased the cost and lead time of supplies arriving from overseas suppliers due to a lack of appropriate materials in the global supply chain and enormous competition from other purchasers.To address these challenges, we shall ambitiously redesign PPE to achieve rapid, localised manufacturing, reusability and significant cost savings to the NHS. Furthermore, this proposal will look to establish a virtual sampling system, a live lead time tracker and PPE manufacturing hubs in areas of the UK which are facing significant logistical obstacles. This will ensure that all healthcare stakeholders have access to rapid, sustainable and effective PPE for the foreseeable future.This project is proposed by Icaruus Limited, a small London based apparel and equipment design and manufacturing business. During this 6 month project, Icaruus shall aim to develop several iterations of CE certified PPE that will be market-tested and manufactured under lockdown conditions. The evidence gathered will enable Icaruus to release cheaper, locally produced PPE alternatives that will be ready for full-scale use by the NHS and other key worker institutions. A successful redesign of PPE requires both official certification and stakeholder approval. As such, Icarus has begun preliminary design and research with various London based NHS hospital trusts. Obtaining grant funding will greatly improve the scale and time frame of the redesign and ensure that the project has the best chance of reaching a successful conclusion.