We’re using all our resources to support and protect the NHS

And we’re currently manufacturing thousands of metres in support of the UK PPE production effort.

During the pandemic, we’ve been inundated with news about the lack of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). We’ve heard only too often how NHS staff, those dedicated people in the frontline fighting the virus and saving lives, have struggled to get hold of the vital equipment they need in order to do their jobs safely.

So, we’re delighted to be able to support the NHS by ploughing all our resources into sourcing and manufacturing narrow elastics for medical applications.

In fact, in the last month, we’ve helped the NHS with around 10 million metres

We’re supplying different types of elastic depending on the application and we’ve been helping with the production of visors, scrubs, gowns and masks. 

And while we’ve had some obvious challenges in sourcing some of the raw materials, we’ve pulled out all the stops in both our UK factories and overseas to make sure we can keep our supply chain moving and continue with production for as long as we’re needed.

While some PPE production has come through existing contracts, as a company we felt it was such an important part of the fight against Coronavirus that we volunteered our services and manufacturing capabilities in a number of other areas too.

We’re aware of the importance of latex-free elastics for masks, visors and gowns

Traditionally latex has been used in a lot of hospital equipment. Its strong and stretchy qualities have made it a suitable material for gloves, tubes, blood pressure cuffs, elastic bandages, bed sheet protectors and masks. 

Unfortunately frequent contact with latex can, and often does, cause an allergic reaction and this can be extremely serious, often requiring hospital treatment. You can have a reaction to latex if your skin, eyes or mouth come into contact with it or you breathe in the powder on latex products. 

To avoid the possibility of hospital staff (and patients) developing a latex reaction, we’ve been careful to manufacture products using other materials.

Elastane, a synthetic elastomer, for example, is an alternative to latex. It’s strong and flexible and has excellent stretch and recovery properties. It’s machine washable and long-lasting. But it’s also hypoallergenic and suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. 

All the raw materials we use are Oeko-Tex certified at the highest level and guaranteed to be free of harmful substances.

To our NHS staff, from everyone at Stretchline, we’d like to say ‘thank you’

To all our NHS workers and key staff – from those in the frontline who put their lives at risk daily, to the many thousands of people who work long hours behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly – we’d like to say a huge thank you. 

We’re grateful for everything that you do and we’re proud to support you.

Want to know more?

For more information about any of our products and how we can work together, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Call us on +44 1666 842100 or email sales@stretchline.com.