This week sees the first full week when the Frome Medical Practice are asking that every patient and visitor to the practice entering the building now wears a face covering.

Wearing a face covering helps to reduce the spread of coronavirus from anyone who is infected but is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic. This face covering could be a scarf, bandana or homemade mask. Ideally, the practice states that a surgical mask should not be used as it is important that these remain available for frontline NHS and Care staff. This stipulation from the practice came before the government announcement that face coverings should be worn on public transport and in some shops.

Many patients now arriving at the practice do already wear their own often distinctive and attractive homemade mask. When patients do arrive with their appropriate face covering, in order to reduce risk, they are additionally now being asked to come alone where at all possible.

Dr Rebecca Hall is a GP at the practice and has long been an advocate of homemade masks.

'It was fairly clear to me that by mid-March we were heading for an imminent global shortage of PPE masks, and that of course is exactly what happened,' says Rebecca. 'We needed something done urgently. Through friends and connections we then dusted down our sewing machines and got planning. Over 40 sewers have so far been recruited into our informal group that we called Mask Force. As for design, we used a common sense approach, using four layers of thin cotton materials (fewer if we were working with thicker materials). We later added a pocket for a disposable extra filter in between the layers.'

By the beginning of May Rebecca and the dozens of her friends and colleagues had managed to produce over 2,500 face masks. A Facebook page was quickly set up at the Facebook websitewith patterns and designs being shared with a wider audience.

'We have done all of this whilst organising ourselves strictly within government guidelines,' adds Rebecca. 'We have had no face to face meetings, but have contacted each other on Zoom and WhatsApp. Our Mask Force group has been excellent in helping us to deliver to Care homes, the town council, care agencies, local Frome pharmacies as well as to workers in shops and supermarkets. Mask Force has been so successful that it has spawned other groups both locally and further afield in the country. We have also been fortunate in having our own delivery cyclist, Jez, who transports ready to use masks to the frontline recipients, as well as ferrying supplies, fabric and material between ribbon donors, stitchers and the recipients themselves.'

'The homemade masks have been fantastic,' says Rebecca. 'It demonstrates once again the energy and generosity of so many local people in and around Frome. The mask that I wear when I work as a GP protects you and the mask that you now wear protects me.'

Anyone wanting more information about making the masks or alternatively wanting to contribute in any way are asked to contact either [email protected] or via the facebook page