A PLEA has been made to businesses to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS staff in Berkshire.

The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust posted on Facebook explaining it was “looking for spare PPE equipment for our staff”.

READ ALSO: Reading medical student to graduate early to help NHS battle coronavirus.

The trust has reached out to companies, schools and anybody who can help provide PPE equipment to their staff and is urging people to help share their plea.

The trust explained it is looking for 500 sets of goggles, gloves and aprons.

If you can donate and help, email marcomms@berkshire.nhs.uk.

The plea comes as there is a continued shortage of PPE equipment for those battling the coronavirus on the front line both nationally and locally.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance also made a plea to businesses asking for them to donate PPE equipment to help their crews earlier this week.

The emergency service explained a major shortage in protective kit due to the increased demand for supplies means its teams of paramedics, doctors and pilots are lacking the most suitable equipment when dealing with different situations and incidents.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Berkshire's confirmed cases and live updates.

While working in partnership with the NHS, as an independent healthcare charity, Thames Valley Air Ambulance is not currently included in the official PPE distribution system.

Nationally, some leading trade unions are warning the lack of PPE is a “crisis within a crisis”.

Reading West MP and secretary of state for Business, Alok Sharma, hosted a coronavirus press conference in Downing Street last weekend.

Mr Sharma said "red tape" will be reduced to allow new producers of hand sanitiser to bring products to market "in a matter of days".

"We are also introducing a range of measures to boost the supply of personal protective equipment, such as face masks, to protect frontline NHS staff," he added.

Royal Berkshire Hospital’s chief executive Steve McManus has spoken out about plans to up the hospital’s intensive care capacity, while reducing the number of people coming to the hospital.

It is hoped the news will help reassure residents and patients that everything possible is being done to make sure they are kept safe and well during the current Covid-19 outbreak.