A drop of more than 400,000 items of personal protective equipment (PPE) arrived in the county last night to support the work of social care and health workers.

On the eight pallets were stocks of face masks, aprons, gloves and eye protection which have today been distributed to frontline staff across the county.

Officers from the county's fire and rescue service, Police and the military, and community volunteers distributed over 400,000 items of PPE to 79 different care locations across Gloucestershire today.

The delivery came via the national distribution hub following a request by the Local Resilience Forum, which is made up of representatives from a range of organisation including the county and district councils, health, police and the ambulance service.

Sarah Scott, chair of the Local Resilience Forum Strategic Coordinating Group and director of public health at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "This significant drop of PPE will support our colleagues on the frontline to keep safe whilst they carry on delivering vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities. 

"Our priority is making sure our colleagues have access to the PPE they need to do their jobs safely. We are working with our partners across Gloucestershire to make sure there is a constant supply coming in and it is being distributed to those who need it most, including the NHS, care homes and frontline staff."

As with elsewhere in the country, the volume being used has increased significantly but there is currently enough PPE in the county and further supplies are expected in the coming days.