Tuffnells_medicalconsignments

Tuffnells has seen a significant increase in consignments for medical products and healthcare supplies as it continues to deliver vital items to essential businesses and services dealing with COVID-19.

Order data comparing February to March showed an 89% increase in consignments for medical products and a 49% increase for healthcare supplies.

Orders for healthcare items surged from just over 40,000 during a four-week period in February to almost 70,000 in the same period in March, as well as medical products increasing from under 3,000 leading up to the lockdown to more than 6,000 in the weeks following.

A Tuffnells spokesperson said the business has been doing everything it can to ensure vital items reach the businesses that need them most.

He expects the spike to continue into May and June.

“Like most businesses working in the supply chain, we have seen a significant increase in demand for specific types of consignments, especially medical, healthcare and cleaning supplies as we look to do what we can to make sure vital items get to where they need to be to help people directly and indirectly deal with the impact of COVID-19," he said.

“We have had to increase the number of deliveries we are making to support the surge as essential businesses including hospitals, care homes and medical facilities require more supplies, more regularly - including the Nightingale Hospital in London, which we delivered materials to, to help the amazing team who have worked so hard to construct it so quickly.

“This is why last month we announced our plans to hire more warehouse and delivery workers. Our team is doing an exceptional job in difficult circumstances and we thank all of them for continuing to do what they can to ensure important deliveries are made.”

Other types of products seeing a spike in orders include cleaning supplies, which rose from under 14,000 in February to more than 19,000 in March, protective clothing, safety equipment and fire extinguishers.

Tuffnells has 37 depots throughout the UK and is part of The Connect Group which also owns Smiths News.

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