Council alliance takes charge of London PPE supplies as care homes reel from Covid-19 deaths

London boroughs have agreed a new pan-London partnership to secure emergency supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for care homes and other crucial services on the Covid-19 front line.

The leader of Ealing Council Julian Bell said the new scheme, built out of a successful partnership between west London councils, had ensured that lives were saved through the procurement of vital equipment.

The manager of Whitefriars Residential Home in Ealing said the council had supported her team's efforts and had helped get them crucial PPE supplies, but the experience of keeping residents isolated from families before they died had left her feeling "very alone".