A group of generous residents in Dartford have worked together to create several hundred face masks to help combat an urgent shortage of PPE equipment at hospitals and care homes.

Using 3D printing technology and publicly shared templates, members of the public have used their machines to create homemade face shields and other safety equipment.

Nationwide there has been a major shortage in PPE safety equipment, affecting doctors, nurses and cleaners in hospitals as well as care staff and emergency services.

Locally, delays in Government supplies has led to council appeals for PPE donations from businesses and schools in Greenwich, and many are getting creative to get around the problem.

Councillor Kelly Grehan created the Dartford 3D shields group after one nursing home, Priory Mews, released a callout for PPE equipment due to shortages.

The response from the group was fast, with a number of people switching on their 3D printers and making use of online templates to produce large batches of plastic headbands.

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These can quickly be made into operational homemade face shields. So far 500 have been made.

These will go to a variety of destinations, including Gravesend Hospital, Kings College Hospital, Darent Valley Hospital and Maternity Ward, and number of GP practices and pharmacies as well as social workers.

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The results look great!

The printers can then pump out large batches of plastic head

So far, several hundred