Thread by @RussellEngland

Talking of ventilators, remember these at the beginning of the pandemic:

* UK company MEC Medical - 500 ventilators, ignored
* UK company Direct Access - 5,000 ventilators, ignored
* British director of UAE company Topland - 15,000 ventilators, ignored

1/

* Worcester based G-Tech - a vacuum manufacturer - told to stand down
* EU emergency bulk buy initiative, ignored because it would interfere with Brexit

2/

UK ministers under fire over ventilator delays

Suppliers say offers were ignored while EU says Britain knew of joint procurement plan

ft.com/content/f9051f…

Worcester's Gtech told not to produce much-needed ventilators by the government, chief executive says

worcesternews.co.uk/news/18339699.…

Nantwich firm blasts Government over delay after offering 5,000 ventilators

thenantwichnews.co.uk/2020/03/24/nan…

https://twitter.com/BenKentish/status/1243143276133261316

https://twitter.com/NaomiOhReally/status/1243433740317179909

Ventilator parts maker says ‘nothing happened’ for weeks after he offered to help Government
The Government should upscale existing manufacturing – rather than turning to famous names, Andrew Raynor said [MEC Medical]

inews.co.uk/news/coronavir…

https://twitter.com/WritesBright/status/1384880744858804225

They also knew we didn't have enough ventilators (or PPE) back in 2016

Exercise Cygnus was a 3 day government exercise to simulate a flu pandemic.

The report was buried because it was "too terrifying"

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/2…

Andy Faulkner, the manager of Topland, a Dubai firm helping Direct Access obtain ventilators, said the two companies offered the government 5,000 units a week over five weeks – but initially received no response.

“No one seemed to be taking us seriously”

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…