We are urgently raising money for a new PPE (personal protective equipment) product: the COVID shield.

It is clear from data emerging around the world that there is a considerable risk to the surgeons and nursing teams who are caring for COVID patients without adequate protection. The shield provides additional protection for NHS theatre teams of doctors and nurses performing an operation that helps transfer the ventilation tube to an opening in the front of the neck (tracheostomy) allowing patients to come off ventilators and be transferred out of intensive care units.

The shield emerged from the collaboration of St Georges Hospital ENT surgeon Hamid Daya with his colleagues, his engineering student son Jahan Daya, and Matthew Buckley, Managing Director of Abplas. Together they succeeded in designing and producing a functioning prototype of this innovative PPE product. The shield has been used with success minimising the risk of contamination and elevating the level of safety for our NHS staff.

The money that we raise from your generous donations will enable us to fund the production of these protective shields in order to distribute them to other hospitals around the country so that their operating theatre teams may also benefit from this life-saving product.

Each shield costs £600 to make but can be cleaned and reused. Every shield produced with your contributions will help protect theatre teams who carry out high risk surgical procedures - essential for the care of COVID-19 patients.

We realise that many of you at home are seeking a way to help slow the spread of the virus and support those risking their lives everyday in the fight against COVID-19. By funding this project you are making a direct impact on the lives of the NHS teams, helping them stay safe.

We thank you for your consideration and generous contributions.

Mr Parag Patel, Consultant ENT surgeon, who has been the first to trial the St George's shield has the following to say:

“'I used the St George's shield last week when performing tracheostomy surgery on the airways of ventilated patients with severe COVID-19 disease. Without doubt the St George's shield has made me feel much more confident that I have the added protection above the normal PPE. It allows me to not fear looking closer into the open trachea where there are such high amounts of coronavirus. I have continued to use it for every case and will continue to do so as we see an increase in numbers of patients needing tracheostomy as they come off ventilation.”