Jack Sargeant MS thanks Airbus workers involved in Ventilator challenge project

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 22nd, 2020

Alyn and Deeside MS Jack Sargeant has written to those Airbus workers involved in the Ventilator ChallengeUK.

Formed on 19 March in response to the anticipated escalation in COVID19 cases, a consortium of UK aerospace, motorsport, automotive and medical businesses came together to produce nearly 13,500 ventilators more than doubling the stock available to the NHS.

In a matter of days, Airbus, Siemens and AMRC colleagues rapidly transformed the Welsh Government-owned AMRC Cymru facility in Broughton, from a research and development centre into an assembly line to produce medical ventilators on an unprecedented scale.

At the height of production – the teams helped build up to 1,500 Penlon Prima ESO2 ventilators each week; equivalent to six months’ normal UK ventilator production in just one day.

Mr Sargeant said he was grateful for the opportunity to say thank you to those Airbus workers for “what they have achieved in a short space of time is remarkable. ”

“When the country needed ventilators they stepped forward.” He said.

Airbus confirmed last month it had begun talks with unions on reducing its Broughton workforce by 1,435 positions.

The move followed an announcement that the aerospace giant is to shed 15,000 jobs globally as it deals with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Politicians and unions have called on the UK government to step in with specific support for the aerospace sector which has been amongst the worst-hit industries during the pandemic.

Mr Sargeant said: “It’s now time the UK Government did the same and stepped up to save skilled jobs that the country so badly needs.

We need a support package aimed at every worker in the aerospace sector”

In his letter to those Airbus workers involved in Ventilator ChallengeUK, the Alyn and Deeside MS writes:

I wanted to write and convey my thanks for the incredible work you have done in meeting the ventilator challenge.

The country needed your skills to save lives and you stepped up and delivered.

We all owe you a debt of gratitude, that should not be forgotten.

You are highly skilled individuals who have demonstrated a level of adaptability and professionalism that allowed you to build an production system in just 25 days.

This system and your skill and hard work have delivered 10,000 ventilators for our NHS, incredible.

I am a time served engineer myself and have some insight into the complexities of the challenge you have more than met.

We all hope that we have seen the worst of COVID and that a vaccine will soon be on its way but the risk of a second wave is still real.

If that were to happen the ventilators that you have produced will be priceless.

On behalf of myself and the community I represent, can I say thank you.

I am committed to supporting the aerospace industry in north east Wales, If I can be of assistance to you or your family in anyway, please do not hesitate to get in touch.