HOSPITAL staff have asked anyone thinking of donating any equipment to them to contact them first before making any appeals.

The hospital put out a statement after a proliferation of Facebook posts asking for items to be donated.

It said: "The generous help and support we’ve received from our local community over the past few days has been uplifting and humbling. The free food and drink, dedicated shopping time for NHS staff and numerous special offers and discounts are greatly welcomed and have provided a much-needed morale boost for our staff as they face the challenges that the Covid-19 outbreak brings. The growing number of people who have volunteered their time to support our services is also very welcome.

"We are also aware of a number of appeals for donations of medical and personal protection equipment. Again, we are heartened by people’s desire to help - but making sure we get the right kit to the right clinical teams at the right time is an extremely complex process to manage safely and effectively.

"A team of our most senior clinicians and managers meets daily to oversee the management, ordering and delivery of equipment, from gloves to ventilators as part of a nationally co-ordinated process. To help them focus on this task we would ask colleagues and members of the public not to launch appeals for donation of specialist equipment for the time being.

"If you have any suggestions for offers of help of this kind, please discuss them with us in advance by contacting our incident management room on 01905 733726 or wah-tr.wrhcontrol@nhs.net and we will make the appropriate arrangements. Thank you for your understanding.

Warrens Removal’s and Wicked Hair in Worcester had been asking all hairdressers, tattoo artists, nail salons and any other industries that have unused gloves, aprons and masks to donate to support hospital staff.

Warren Leggett, from Warrens Removal’s, said: “A friend of mine who works at Wicked Hair approached me with the idea. She knows how much I do for charity and how I like to help others."

He had hoped to be able to use his vans to help - and said he would now be contacting the hospital to see how he could help.

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Mr Leggett, from Droitwich, said: “I would like to applaud the NHS staff for their hard work. We have all got to stay strong, times will get better.”

Mr Leggett has been forced to close his removal and storage business temporarily during the coronavirus pandemic.

He posted on Facebook: “Heartbreaking times all round. Uncertainty everywhere. Jobs being lost. Businesses shattered. A nation of questions and worries but one thing will remain - Togetherness is everything. We must back our government and get behind everybody in this operation.”