Hard working NHS staff on the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 are working their fingers to the bone - almost literally.
With an influx of patients to care for and extra-thorough hand washing between each patient absolutely vital, many healthcare workers are finding their hands chapped, dry and painful.
One South Tyneside nurse hit upon a simple solution, turning to a local Facebook group to ask if anyone had spare tubes of hand cream that they might be willing to donate to her team.
And she was "overwhelmed" by the response.
Emma Charlton, a staff nurse in the emergency department at South Tyneside District Hospital, made the public appeal on Facebook for unused, spare hand creams and quickly collected dozens of creams and moisturisers to share out.
She wrote: "As you can imagine right now our hands are really suffering with the extreme hand washing we are having to do right now. I’m wondering if anybody would have any unused spare hand creams lying around that they don’t particularly need.
"I would love if anybody can help us. I will happily collect, obviously following social distancing, and take to the hospital and distribute amongst staff and if I get enough I will happily take around the hospital.
"Any help would be really appreciated in these difficult times especially when there are so many out there working so hard to get us through this pandemic."
Within days dozens of people had contacted Emma, offering to donate creams they'd received as gifts or had yet to use.
Some local businesses even said they had starting selling small tubes of creams which customers could buy to be sent directly to the hospital.
Emma added her thanks to one of her posts, saying: "I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone, the response has been overwhelming."
A South Tyneside Hospital spokesperson said that after Emma's request dozens of creams had been donated, with more coming in every day.
They will be distributed to Emma's colleagues as well as across other wards and departments.
Emergency department manager Julie Russell said: “The staff are overwhelmed by this example of the public’s generosity.
"Hand-washing and use of alcohol gel has increased dramatically and that takes its toll on people’s hands so the hand creams are very welcome.
"It’s touching to know that, in spite of what is happening, people are thinking about NHS staff.”
