Recycling division donates phones & tablet devices to Covid-19 patients
Our Recycling head office in Caerphilly, South Wales, UK has donated mobile phones and tablets to local hospitals so that isolated Covid-19 patients can keep in touch with their families.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic hospital staff have been working hard to look after both patients and their families. Unfortunately many isolated patients can’t receive visits from their relatives and have no way to contact them online. As with many other hospitals, this has been a major concern for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (UHB), which provides health care services for people living in South Wales.
On 30 March 2020, Becky Gammon, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB Assistant Director of Nursing, contacted DS Smith Recycling via an online form on our website, with a request about phones and tablets for her patients.
The main goal is to ensure that all patients have the opportunity to Skype with their families during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is extremely important to facilitate contact between patients and their relatives.
Our Recycling Head Office collects all redundant IT equipment from our UK Recycling sites and arranges collections under the Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment Directive. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the last collection had been cancelled, meaning that old mobile phones and tablets were still in storage.
UK IT Manager for DS Smith Recycling and Paper divisions, Graham Pearce, and his team configured these devices to enable them to be used by patients. Darren Price, Technical Project Manager in the team erased all data, installed Skype, and helped set up Skype accounts that could be used for patients without them.
Current restrictions have meant that visiting loved ones who are hospitalised during the Covid-19 pandemic is not always possible. We are delighted that we can support family and friends to connect through our donation during this difficult time.