Cabinet Office

Ventilator Challenge

12 April 2020

The production and supply of NHS ventilators and their parts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing. The NHS will need as many as possible, quickly to support clinicians in ICUs across the UK.

The Ventilator Challenge is a cross-government programme led by the Cabinet Office working in partnership with the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC), Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) for clinical guidance and approval.

The clinical panel for the programme includes Professor Ramani Moonesinghe (National Clinical Director for Critical Care, NHSE/I), Professor Mike Grocott (RCoA), Professor Tom Clutton-Brock (MD-TEC) and Dr Duncan McPherson (MHRA), Dr James O’Carroll (clinician representative), Dr Charlotte Summers (clinician representative) and Dr Max Jonas (University Hospital Southampton). Together they will ensure the programme: 

  • Safely scales up production of existing ventilators already used in the NHS

  • Accelerates new innovative ventilator designs and production ensuring safety

  • That the distribution of ventilators takes account of clinical needs. 

Separate to the Ventilator Challenge, DHSC has purchased ventilators that already have regulatory approvals thus utilising existing international stock.

Any issues flagged about the devices will be diverted to the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme. Each non-CE marked device will contain a separate sticker with these details on. There is a new MHRA telephone number available for reporting any ventilator (both CE and non-CE marked).

This number is 0800 731 6789.

We are already seeing medical manufacturers go live with their production lines with more organisations to follow in the coming days. Plus, internationally ordered ventilators have started to arrive in the UK. This means ventilators (both existing and new designs) will soon start arriving at NHS organisations, subject to exceptional use authorisation. 

What should NHS clinicians and teams expect?

The RCoA is working closely with the Cabinet Office, NHS and DHSC to determine the exact deployment schedule of the equipment and we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

It is recognised that introducing new devices during an already stressful time requires the provision of support and training resources to provide reassurance and confidence to clinicians and teams using this equipment.  

The following training resources have been developed and approved by the clinical panel:

  • Training material is being provided through e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) which will include the following guidelines and training materials for ventilators:

    • Bite size training videos

    • 2-page quick start guide for each new device, which contains further sources of help 

    • Frequently asked questions will also be regularly uploaded when needed.

The above training materials can be found here. Please note these links have been made accessible for NHS staff across the United Kingdom.  

Furthermore, every new device will come with a printed copy of the two-page quick start guide.

ENDS