Groupe PSA, the French parent company of Vauxhall has boosted the fight against coronavirus by gifting 50,000 face masks to hospitals and care homes in the UK.
The company, which also has Peugeot and Citroen under its wing, has issued the personal protection equipment to assist medical venues near the Vauxhall plants in Cheshire and Bedfordshire, as well as near the company’s headquarters in Coventry.
It’s not the the first time the British motor industry has stepped in to help during the pandemic, the Nissan factory in Sunderland distributed 3D-printed face masks to local NHS Trusts, before moving to manufacture plastic aprons for NHS staff. Luxury car maker sent 30,000 face masks to care homes near their factory in Crewe and also offered seat covers to any frontline staff that needed them. MG and Ford made PPE donations, whilst Aston Martin also worked towards producing a respiratory protection device.
Elsewhere the UK motor industry worked hard on the effort, seven F1 teams worked to build ventilators, Jaguar loaned cars to the Red Cross and even the AA offered free breakdown assistance to NHS staff.
Groupe PSA’s equipment will be going to the Countess of Chester and Arrow Park hospitals in Cheshire, and the Luton & Dunstable Hospital in Bedfordshire.
“The heroes, both in the NHS and in care homes, are leading the fight on the front line against the Covid-19 pandemic,” said David Connell, Groupe PSA’s human resources director. “Groupe PSA is proud to be able to support them with this worthwhile donation.”