9 Apr 2020
“We have already delivered 12 ventilators and will have another 20 ready for the NHS in a week, and the capacity to make another 100 or so in the next two to three weeks” – vet Keith Simpson.
James Westgate
Job Title
Vet Keith Simpson has vowed to produce more than 100 life-saving ventilators to help the NHS fight the coronavirus pandemic.
His company Vetronic Services has been manufacturing veterinary ventilators for almost 30 years – and when the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep through the UK, he quickly realised he could modify his machines to help patients struck down by the virus.
Mr Simpson and his team at Vetronic set about modifying one of the company’s Merlin machines before running it through some tests at the local hospital.
The tests proved successful – and despite his firm employing just nine people, Mr Simpson is confident of having 30 machines in NHS hospitals by the end of Easter weekend.
He said: “We have already delivered 12 ventilators and will have another 20 ready for the NHS in a week, and the capacity to make another 100 or so in the next two to three weeks.
“The machines have been tested by a hospital and the trusts that now have them in place ready to go are aware they are veterinary ventilators, but they also know they can do the job.
“It is a real source of pride for all of us here that our equipment is going to be used to help and we are going to continue doing all we can.”
