{"id":22183,"date":"2020-06-19T13:02:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T12:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=22183"},"modified":"2020-06-19T15:43:31","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T14:43:31","slug":"stay-safe-not-silent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=22183","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Stay safe not silent&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n\n<p>Protective kit for frontline workers in health and social care hit the headlines in a big way in March and early April. But since then, the story has receded from the news agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be forgiven for thinking that the PPE crisis is over \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but far from it. Workers in both the NHS and in social care settings are still crying out for adequate equipment to keep them safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed hundreds of their colleagues\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And now it has come to light that many essential workers fear reprimand for making their PPE shortages public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help ensure health and social care workers get the PPE they need, Unite has now teamed up with Frontline Live \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a platform, built and run by volunteers, that hosts the first-ever national map of real-time PPE needs from the frontline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Frontline Live is easy to use and the premise is simple, explains the platform\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s founder Katz Kiely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf you work on the frontline in health and social care and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re short of PPE, you tweet #FrontlineMap, followed by a hashtag with your postcode and another hashtag with your PPE needs,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor those who feel safer to make requests anonymously, we have a form on the website as well.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Frontline Live has produced a how-to video which you can watch below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FRONTLINE LIVE: KEEPING HEALTHCARE WORKERS SAFE\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/425529320?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data helps connect workers seeking PPE with suppliers who can get the protective kit to them fast. Already the platform has helped source thousands of items of PPE and has connected more than 120 PPE suppliers with frontline workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>&#8216;There is a clear need&#8217;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katz, an entrepreneur with a background in open data, data visualisation and digital innovation tells Unite how it all started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen the coronavirus pandemic first came to the UK, I started noticing, as an avid Twitter user, that there was a lot of noise around the fact that healthcare workers were having to go to work without the protection they needed to keep them safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA friend of mine who is a senior nurse said she was going to work and she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a mask. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s at this point that the issue becomes real. By God, even going into a supermarket without a mask is nerve-wracking \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the idea that people are going into high-risk situations like hospital without protection is horrific.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amid this huge rise in demand for PPE, Katz also saw the supply side of the equation; lots of small businesses were pivoting their production amid the pandemic to produce PPE while others were raising money to get the PPE produced and distributed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSo there was a clear need &#8211; lots of people on the frontline shouting into space saying &#8220;I need help\u00e2\u20ac\u0165. And the other side, people saying \u00e2\u20ac\u0098We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re here to help; where are you?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThen I thought, I wonder if I can quickly pull together a way for frontline need to be aggregated so suppliers can see where they are and get them what they need quickly?\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With help from data mapping experts at University College London (UCL)\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis she figured a way forward and rounded up a passionate group of volunteers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c   \u00e2\u20ac\u015ba tribe of expert technologists, creatives, and digital gurus who gave up weekends, early mornings and late nights\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 &#8212; and before they knew it Frontline Live was up and running by mid-April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katz and her colleagues made a shocking discovery soon after Frontline Live was launched. It turned out that people were terrified of publicly reporting PPE shortages using Twitter &#8211; so they offered a form so those in need could report anonymously. 80 per cent of the requests made at Frontline Live have been made anonymously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>&#8216;Nobody should feel unsafe going to work&#8217;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSince we realised this, we have changed our messaging to \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Stay safe not silent\u00e2\u20ac\u2122,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Katz explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bNobody in this country in the 21st century should be going into work feeling unsafe. And worse than that if they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not feeling safe, the fact that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re being told to shut up for danger of reprimand is downright inhumane.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Frontline Live has continued to grow and now also has a certification process to ensure that the PPE they help source is of the highest quality. As they continue to get their name out there \u00e2\u20ac\u201c media partners like the <em>Times <\/em>newspaper and Snapchat have sponsored the movement \u00e2\u20ac\u201c there was one thing Frontline Live was missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just volunteers and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re relatively unknown so we needed credible organisations that can tell frontline staff, \u00e2\u20ac\u0098It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s okay. You should absolutely report shortages in PPE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where Unite has come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe approached Unite specifically because the union has a substantial number of healthcare workers and because it has a really good reputation,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Katz noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIn my first conversation with [Unite national officer for health] Colenzo [Jarrett-Thorpe] I learned that Unite was already asking its members to report PPE shortages so we already had the same aims.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unite has introduced the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s members, activists and officers to Frontline Live and has encouraged them to use the platform to report PPE shortages. The union is also working with the platform\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s volunteers to supply them with information about PPE shortages and help get PPE to the frontline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re absolutely delighted to be partnering with Unite,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Katz said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe know this is exactly what we need to gain the credibility, the access, the reach and trust&nbsp; from the people we built this platform for.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unite national officer for health Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s amazing to be supporting an initiative like Frontline Live; to do our own bit to help such amazing volunteer-run projects like this,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere needs to be a voice for frontline workers to highlight what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happening and make sure they get the PPE they need. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the role Unite is now playing, and Frontline Live dovetails perfectly with our goals. The overriding message of Frontline Live &#8211; \u00e2\u20ac\u0098stay safe, not silent\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is in line with our campaign so it really is the perfect match. We look forward to working with them to help continue building the most up-to-date map of PPE shortages.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>&#8216;We need to be flexible and agile&#8217;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katz emphasised that Frontline Live\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s raison d&#8217;\u0102\u015etre was not to replace traditional procurement systems but to act as additional support in times of crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re saying is procurement systems would be sufficient if we weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in the middle of a pandemic. But sometimes crises happen and you need to be flexible and agile. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re helping to bypass some of the bureaucracy to make sure people get vital PPE at the speed at which they need it.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an open source project, Frontline Live is free and Katz said they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re \u00e2\u20ac\u015bgiving it to anyone who wants to use it and run with it\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a prototype for a more resilient rapid response mechanism. Mapping real time need is very necessary and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re hoping our model can be used around the world. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a huge believer in the idea that if you can see a problem \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hidden \u00e2\u20ac\u201c people can rally around to solve it.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find out more about <a href=\"https:\/\/frontline.live\/\">Frontline Live on their website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also watch a <a href=\"https:\/\/protect-eu.mimecast.com\/s\/7zTsCngRXHzPpKSJ_xmz?domain=bit.ly\">video here<\/a> where colorectal surgeon  Dr Maryam Alfa-Wali explains why no one should be afraid to report PPE shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Protective kit for frontline workers in health and social care hit the headlines in a big way in March and early April. But since then, the story has receded from the news agenda. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be forgiven for thinking that the PPE crisis is over \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but far from it. Workers in both the NHS and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1308,17],"tags":[1295,29,1316],"wps_subtitle":"Unite teams up with Frontline Live platform to ensure health and care workers get the PPE they need","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22183"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22183"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22195,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22183\/revisions\/22195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}