Coronavirus Update – Temporary and Partial Re-Opening of Business
Updated: Thursday 16th April 2020
Following a further review, we are pleased to announce that Ruth Lee Ltd is currently OPEN.
Over the past 3 weeks, we have received a number of orders from our customers and international distributors and after consulting with staff, we have agreed to a partial opening of the business to complete these.
As the situation currently stands, the plan is to open for 1-3 weeks. We will remain open depending on demand and the volume of orders received in this time, after which, we may well be required to furlough our outstanding team for a further 3 weeks minimum, in line with UK Government regulations for furloughed workers.
Therefore, if you have a requirement for manikins, we urge you to get in touch as soon as possible.
Price Increase – 1st May 2020
Please also be aware that an annual price increase comes into effect on the 1st May 2020. Orders completed before this date will receive current pricing, and those placed after will incur new pricing which is around a 3-4% increase.
During these unprecedented times, we have heard many conversations in the industry concerning ongoing training, particularly with regards to manual handling of patients within the care sector.
Many customers have already contacted us to determine if manikins could be the ideal solution for training the incoming influx of workers who require these skills, whilst still maintaining minimal human-to-human contact.
Our manikins can be cleaned with a mild detergent and the majority wear machine-washable overalls or pyjamas depending on the model. We would encourage you to wash these overalls or pyjamas frequently and to replace these where necessary.
Thank you for your continued support and loyalty – but more importantly, a massive thank you to those keyworkers who are still working to save the lives of others and take care of us in this time of crisis.
Coronavirus Update – Temporary Business Closure
Tuesday 24th March 2020
Further to our communication yesterday, and last night’s announcement by the British Government, we regret to inform our customers that Ruth Lee Ltd is on a temporary lockdown. There will be no production during this time.
We are keen to follow the Government guidance, which is intended to keep our staff safe and well for as long as possible. We all need to do what we can to minimise the spread of infection of Coronavirus and it is our moral obligation to follow the guidance offered by medical experts at this time.
For orders already placed, these will take priority when we return to work. Please be aware that there may be delays in shipping according to what is happening across the globe.
At this stage, our plan is to open in 3 weeks’ time, on Monday 13th April, subject to further Government advice. For urgent enquiries, please contact our Managing Director by emailing paul@ruthlee.com – we will make sure that any updates are made via our website and social media channels.
This decision has not been taken lightly. We love what we do and want only what is best for the Ruth Lee team, our customers and suppliers.
A heartfelt thank you for your support and we look forward to working with you as soon as possible.
Paul McDonnell
Managing Director
07944 853647
Monday 23rd March 2020
Important Communication – Coronavirus
In these unprecedented times, now more than ever, it is vital that we do everything we can to stay safe and look after one another.
The Coronavirus crisis is rapidly evolving and is impacting increasingly on members of the public, our staff, customers, suppliers and inevitably on our business as a whole. Each day the situation is escalating and the degree of uncertainty in which we operate is increasing.
The British Government is currently considering implementing more stringent restrictions to try to combat the spread of infection. This means that Ruth Lee Ltd MAY be forced to close or significantly reduce operations at very short notice.
During the coming days, we will keep our customers informed via our website and social media, and we would ask that you please refer regularly to these for updated information. At the moment we are running at 90% capacity, but this could change daily.
If you have any urgent orders in the pipeline we would ask that you inform us as soon as possible. We will do what we can to fulfil orders.
Ruth Lee Ltd is a family business – each and every member of the team is important to us, as are our customers and suppliers. Please do all that you can to minimise the spread of infection, continue to take care of your loved ones and any vulnerable people in your community…. Above all, let’s all stay positive and support each other. We shall overcome this!
Paul McDonnell
Managing Director
Tuesday 17th March 2020
With the number of cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) increasing daily in the UK, we want to make sure we do everything we can to avoid any prolonged disruption to our customers.
For now, we are operating at full capacity and will continue to strive to offer our customers the best possible service in the UK and internationally.
That said, the impact caused by the virus is likely to be significant, as seen globally, and Ruth Lee Ltd continues to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. The safety of our employees, customers and partners is our top priority.
We have already implemented additional precautions both internally for our staff and externally for our customers, partners and wider supply chain. For the time being, we will not be inviting visitors to our premises, nor will we be visiting our customers or suppliers. We have taken this decision based on well-informed and well-studied efforts to slow the spread of infection.
We will continue to follow the World Health Organisation and UK Government guidelines relating to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you have any questions, please contact us by telephone on 01490 413 282.
Regular updates will be posted on this page, and via our social media channels.