Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft technology is supporting the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium to produce medical ventilators for the NHS. Microsoft is working with other major organisations including Ford, Penlon, Siemens, Smiths Group and Unilever to ensure the UK health system is well-resourced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Doctors and government officials have been calling for more of the devices in order to cope with the growing number of cases. To address this, the consortium will design, build and test a Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator System and components at sites across the UK.
Microsoft and its partners Avanade, Content & Code, IT Lab and PTC will support the consortium’s efforts, for example by providing free access to Teams so that members can easily message, talk and share documents. Microsoft HoloLens will also run PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture app to create and share training content, giving workers guided instructions on how to set up the new production processes needed to make ventilators.
Microsoft will also support the supply chain of the ventilators with Dynamics 365, enabling each participant to see who bought the parts and where they were sent. Microsoft and Accenture set up the solution – which would normally take around 12 months – in three weeks.
“There is no more critical sector at this moment than healthcare, which is why we have been working around the clock to support the NHS on a number of fronts since this Covid-19 crisis began,” said Cindy Rose, chief executive of Microsoft UK. “Now, through the power of HoloLens, Microsoft Teams and Dynamics 365, we are proud to play a role in helping produce these critical life-saving devices.”