Babcock has joined forces with a leading medical equipment company to design, manufacture and supply critical care ventilators for the NHS in response to the government’s urgent request for help from industry. 

A team of Babcock engineers and other specialists have worked to develop a supply chain solution to produce the ventilators. Positive input from the Cabinet Office has also facilitated engagement with a panel of clinical experts, including London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, reputed worldwide for its expertise in respiratory medicine. 

Modern day ventilators are composed of hundreds of different specialist parts, however, with the race against time to save lives a fully functional prototype with the focus on simplified ventilation principles and thereby fewer parts has been created in a matter of days, whilst meeting strict clinical requirements. 

Jon Hall, managing director of technology for Babcock, said: “This is a critical time for the country as a whole and for the NHS in particular. When the opportunity arose for us to get involved in helping the NHS to save lives, we knew it was the right thing to do. I’m really proud of the commitment and innovation of everyone in the team, across Babcock and our medical and supply chain partners.

“Combining our engineering expertise with advances in medical technology has resulted in a solution that will help the NHS save lives. That capability, combined with a diverse supply chain will ensure that we can get this equipment manufactured, processed and delivered as a matter of urgency.”