Dyson to make thousands of ventilators at Hullavington plant in Wiltshire to help NHS tackle coronavirus

Dyson has confirmed it is to make thousands of custom-made ventilators at its Wiltshire base to help tackle the effects of coronavirus.

In an email to employees worldwide, Sir James Dyson confirmed he received a call from Boris Johnson earlier this month asking for help.

The initial order from the Government is for 10,000 of the ventilators, which will be designed with the needs of Covid-19 sufferers in mind.

Dyson will be making 5,000 of them to donate to healthcare services globally - with 1,000 of those earmarked for the UK.

Dyson created the new ventilator - The CoVent - with The Technology Partnership (TTP), and says they can be made quickly and at volume at the Hullavington plant.

Dyson will donate 1,000 CoVents to the NHS. Credit: Dyson

It comes after warnings that the widespread suffering of Covid-19 is putting a strain on the NHS's ability to cope.

Severe symptoms leave patients unable to breathe on their own, and there are currently not enough ventilators in hospitals to meet growing demand.

Ventilators are a regulated product in the UK, and Dyson and TTP are working with MHRA and the Government to make sure the design and product are safe for use.

The ventilators are designed to be mounted on to hospital beds and run on batteries, meaning patients can be easily transported.

  • Read Sir James Dyson's full statement below:

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know