A travel firm is donating equipment worth £250,000 to help nurses dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
Online company Trtl is handing over its stockpile of compression socks to help nurses fight fatigue on the wards.
A total of 5000 pairs have been given to acute nurses in hospitals across Scotland in the past two weeks and the firm plans to distribute 5000 more in London in the next week.
Trtl’s sales have fallen 95% in the past two weeks and chief executive officer Michael Corrigan said he wants to help those on the frontline by donating the surplus socks.
He said: “Although the compression socks have been most popular with airline travellers, at the start of this year we ran a small campaign with nurses around the world and they were really happy with them.
“Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking about how we can contribute in what is the biggest crisis many of us will face in our lifetimes.
“When something like this happens it very rapidly puts things into perspective.
“Nurses across the UK will be tested as never before in the coming weeks and if we can do something to help make the time they spend on their feet more comfortable, we must.
“I couldn’t just see these socks sitting in a warehouse when they could be helping people saving lives. That’s what’s important, and nurses need all the help they can get just now.”
Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the city’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital have each received 1000 pairs.
Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary have both been given 500 pairs.
Glasgow Royal Infirmary chief nurse John Stuart said: “We are under no illusions about what we are going to face in the weeks to come.
“Our nurses work incredibly hard and can spend hours and hours on the move during every shift.
“With these compression socks we can help our staff alleviate some of the discomfort and aches associated with being on your feet for long periods of time and help them better face the challenges that are coming our way with Covid-19.
“Any gesture like this can help boost morale and hopefully the colourful designs will help brighten the days of our nursing staff.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
