Scottish ventilator production to help in Covid-19 fight

Two international companies with facilities in Scotland are helping to design and produce more ventilators that will be used by the NHS in the fight against coronavirus.

Plexus and Raytheon UK will support the production process from their manufacturing facilities in Kelso, Livingston and Glenrothes.

The effort is being co-ordinated by another global firm – Babcock International – and aims to ensure the NHS and social care sector has the support and equipment it needs to tackle Covid-19.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday the death toll from coronavirus in Scotland has risen to 366, with more than 4500 confirmed cases.

Total confirmed cases are up by 336 to 4565, while there are 210 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care and 1711 in hospital overall.

The Babcock-led industry response follows an appeal for help from the UK government.

The Scottish Government has welcomed the firms’ involvement as they join a number of internationally renowned companies focused on accelerating ventilator capacity for the NHS across the UK.

Minister for trade, investment and innovation Ivan McKee said: “These companies are at the vanguard of efforts to manufacture more ventilators as part of UK-wide efforts to tackle Covid-19.

“Ventilators are hugely complex devices that normally require time to be designed and tested, so the speed with which Plexus and Raytheon UK, as part of the Babcock supply chain, have responded to push forward sizeable production is commendable.

“They and their staff are working round the clock and are a credit to Scottish manufacturing,” he added.