Richard Fuller MP welcomes NHS plans to deliver 250,000 clear face masks for use by people with hearing loss, dementia and autism during the coronavirus pandemic
The Government has announced that NHS and care workers will be given clear face masks to help them communicate with people with certain conditions like hearing loss, autism and dementia.
Over 3 billion pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been delivered to the frontline and the Government is working with around 130 new companies, including Royal Mint, Honeywell, Amazon and Royal Mail, to rapidly manufacture, source or distribute PPE at scale and pace.
The masks are see-through and have an anti-fogging barrier to ensure the face and mouth are always visible to help doctors, nurses and carers communicate better with their patients.
Commenting on the news, Richard said: "We know that the pandemic has brought a range of challenges and one has been how we maintain social interaction. This has been particularly true for people with hearing loss who need to lip-read and other people who are helped by being able to see the face. The problems faced by deaf children have been particularly acute and the clear masks will, I hope, make a big difference.
I am particularly pleased that the masks will be available not only in the NHS but also social care settings."
Further details on how to support deaf children with communication at this time can be found here - https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/5916/infographic-communication-tips-for-f…
