A MANUFACTURER in Winnington is playing a huge role in helping our NHS heroes fight coronavirus.

Ecolab is set to supply the NHS with five million litres of hand sanitiser, made at the Weavergate plant in Winnington Avenue, by the end of the year.

The firm has been a long-term supplier of NHS Supply Chain, providing critical products to help prevent infection, as well as services and training to help ensure cleaner working environments.

Demand for these products has surged during the pandemic, and Ecolab has worked closely with NHS Supply Chain to make sure the right products are delivered to where they are needed most in health and social care.

“Ecolab has been a reliable partner at the heart of the crisis,” said Miranda Gordon, head of category, wound care and infection control at NHS Supply Chain.

“Their healthcare team has always been a phone call away and have proven great resilience to help supply disinfection products.

"Now that the peak has passed, we are building new stock of critical products and ensure our preparedness, whatever may come.

"We are grateful to Ecolab for the continuous support."

Ecolab has increased its manufacturing capacity by 700 per cent across Europe to help meet demand caused by Covid-19, including a record amount of hand sanitiser to the NHS.

The manufacturing team at the Weavergate production plant in Winnington has set up a new mixing and filling line in just six weeks to produce alcohol-based hand rub for professional use in large quantities.

The first bottles were filled and delivered in early July, and further enhancements to the plant will help produce 250,000 bottles a week from September.

Twenty new associates have been hired locally to support the production team of more than 50 full-time workers.

“We are delighted to work alongside NHS Supply Chain to provide critical product into the NHS and social care across the UK,” said Howard Wilkinson, area vice president for Ecolab Healthcare in north and west Europe.

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“The wider Ecolab team have worked tirelessly to re-tool and scale our local manufacturing in order to deliver a solution to the local market in under six weeks.

"Our speed of response reflects the strength of a global company with local reach in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

As a global firm, Ecolab is working with 8,700 hospitals across more than 90 countries.