WELFARE packs have been handed out to staff at Trafford General Hospital as they lead the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

Donations from local and national business have flooded into an appeal organised by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), which manages the Trafford site.

Non-perishable food items, toiletries, clothing and treats are included with the packs, which are being handed out twice a week from marquees at trust sites, under advice from infection control experts.

Each week the nature of the supplies may change, according to the donations available.

Nardia Lloyd-Ashton, from Manchester Local Care Organisation, has been collecting donations on behalf of teams working in the community across the city region.

The likes of Manchester United Foundation, JD Sports, Foot Asylum, PZ Cussons and Kelloggs were among the major names to make initial pledges of support for the project, which has involved the MFT Charity.

Prof Cheryl Lenney, the trust's chief nurse, said: "Businesses in our community want to give back and are contacting us every day to show their support and solidarity to our NHS workers across the trust.

"In these unprecedented times, these packs not only provide welcome supplies but also remind colleagues of how grateful people are for the vital work they do to care for the people we serve.

“Thank-you to everyone who has donated so far. This generosity really does make a difference to our hard-working teams at this time."

Trust chairman Kathy Cowell added: "These donations will be very much appreciated by our dedicated, exceptional teams of professionals across the trust who are working so hard to keep everyone safe at this busy time.

“The MFT Charity team has been working incredibly hard to make this possible to support the wellbeing of our committed NHS workforce. These gestures will go a long way to support our colleagues at MFT so thank you to everyone who has donated so far.

“We couldn’t do this without the generosity of local businesses and we welcome any further donations.

"If you would like to support this campaign, please visit the MFT Charity website for a full list of suitable items.”

As one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, MFT has more than 20,000 staff working across nine hospitals and community services in Manchester and Trafford.

The charity has also set up a fundraising appeal to support the wellbeing of the trust’s frontline workers.

To make a cash donation, you can go online to https://mftcharity.org.uk/support-our-hospitals