Meet the Birmingham volunteers creating scrubs for NHS staff still without basic PPE

A group of Birmingham women have stepped in to provide NHS workers with essential scrubs, as the government continues to fall short of delivering vital PPE to frontline staff.

Despite being hit financially and socially by the coronavirus crisis, a team of women from across the city have joined forces to help coordinate the production and distribution of scrubs.

Scrubs are the sanitary clothing worn by surgeons, nurses, physicians and other workers involved in patient care in hospitals.

With the national ‘Clap for the NHS’ campaign and slogans such as ‘Stay at Home: Save Our NHS’ popular in current lexicon,  it would easy to assume that NHS staff therefore have all they need to do their jobs.

However, the existence of national groups like For The Love of Scrubs – Our NHS needs you tells a different story.

The online group currently has over 45,000 members and their sole purpose is to provide scrubs to NHS staff in need. Hospital workers across the country have been relying heavily on public support following a failure by authorities to secure ample and correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Who are the Brummie volunteers?

The group has also evolved into having smaller chapters across the country, including in the Midlands. Mum-of-three Chanel Morrison-Jolley is the coordinator of the Birmingham branch. She told us about the generous efforts of everyday people where the government is falling short.

“We receive direct requests from these NHS staff members in need of scrubs in Birmingham, Walsall, Sutton and Solihull. There are volunteers that deliver, cut patterns, cut fabric, sew scrubs and scrub bags.

“However, we don’t have all we need. A crowdfunding page has been set up to raise money towards the fabric needed to make these. So far we have over £1,00 towards our 5k target.

“A local fabric shop is offering the material at fifth of its normal price and we have volunteers ready to go.

“Any clinician is supposed to change their scrubs a number of times in any one shift. I receive requests from nurses at hospitals working directly with coronavirus patients who do not have scrubs. These people are just like me, they go home to families and children who they are putting at risk.”

The West Midlands people volunteering for ‘For the Love of Scrubs’ come from all sections of the community, and are all individuals who have been negatively affected by the lockdown.

Bernadette White is a dressmaker at Bernie the Dressmaker in Kingstanding. She has lost much of her usual business of wedding and prom dresses that would normally be keep her busy at this time of the year, so she offered to voluntarily sew much-needed scrubs instead.

Bernadette said: “I have loved sewing from the age of 12. I got involved in the scrubs project because during these unprecedented times we all have to do whatever we can to help all frontline workers.

“My business is closed. All events are cancelled or delayed. This project has stopped me going mad with boredom. We need as much help as possible across all levels of skills not just sewers.  We need delivery and collection drivers too. Please get involved.”

With many ordinary taxpayers are currently going above and beyond to assist NHS staff, while themselves making do on less or no income and concerned about losing businesses and homes, the government has received criticism for awarding Members of Parliament an additional £10,000 allowance.

MPs will have access to an additional 10k on top of their average basic salary of 80k (before expenses), to adjust to working from home.

Angering many – including healthcare workers – hundreds of thousands have signed a petition against the move. Responding in comments alongside the petition, many have cited the record of Conservative MPs voting against pay rise for nurses.

Weighing in on the controversy, Birmingham sewing coordinator Chanel Morrison-Jolley said, “I am outraged to be honest. This money should be spent on the people that are risking their lives, instead people like me are having to step in.”

How lack of PPE contributes towards the spread of COVID-19

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, doctors and nurses have been very vocal about the unacceptable risks they are having to take over lack of protective equipment.

To volunteer with the Birmingham branch of ‘For the Love of Scrubs’, join their Facebook group here.
To contribute to their crowdfunding appeal, you can donate to the Birmingham appeal on JustGiving.