A radiographer has been supporting colleagues and other healthcare professionals by printing PPE visors at home.
Chris Shepherd, who works at the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, Mount Vernon Hospital, started making the visors in March and he has 3D printed more than 300. He has supplied them to not only his own workplace but local ITUs, A&E departments, care homes, the ambulance service, and community nursing staff.
Demand has been so strong that Chris been raising funds for materials through a gofundme website page, as well as investing almost £1000 of his own money into the project. He has replaced his original 3D printer to increase capacity.
“The gofundme page I set up has been a godsend and I don't think I would have been able to make all this PPE for the NHS without the money that people have donated through it.,” Chris said.
“I first started making the visors in mid-March. The wife of a good friend of mine works at an ITU unit locally and they wanted to increase their supply of PPE and he asked if there was anything I could do to help. I discovered visor designs that had been made public access by Prusa Research in response to the pandemic.
“As word has spread about what I am doing, more requests have come in. My simple hope is that I am able to help whoever wants and needs it. I honestly have enough demand to run a second machine now but that is an expense that I just can't stretch to at the moment."
Due to the massive demand for 3D printing filaments currently, available supplies are becoming more and more scarce. As a result of this, Chris says cheaper filament isn't available and he is having to purchase from more expensive sources to keep up with demand.
“My colleagues are an amazing bunch of people and are always striving to go that extra mile for the patient. I just want to help where I can," Chris said.
"Times are tough right now and the genuine care for each other and acts of kindness really help you feel that you aren't going through things alone. The healthcare community is going through hell right now, but at least we are going through it together.”
To donate please visit https://www.gofundme.com
