Dedicated Milton Keynes company makes hundreds of beds to equip Nightingale Covid-19 hospitals

Milton Keynes Pressings Ltd (MKP), based in Bletchley, is an engineering company that supplies metal pressings and welded assemblies to car manufacturers and other different industries.

But a month ago, at the start of the UK pandemic, the company was asked if it could make metal hospital beds for the NHS.

A spokesman said: "A lot of planning and thought had to go into this task from welding to packaging all while practicing social distancing."

But staff rose to the challenge and the beds a have proved a real success. They are now being sent by the lorry load to hospitals all over the UK.

The company spokesman said: "I don’t think any of us at MKP ever thought we would see the day where we would be loading up lorries full with hospital beds.... We have to thank our wonderful employees who have been working non stop these past few weeks to get these beds made and ready to go out on time."

MKP was established as a family business in 1985, and after 30 years of growth now employs over 150 staff. Its roots can be traced back to Ryeland Toolmakers (RT) which was established as a press tool-making facility in MK in the 1970s.

The company now operates on two sites in Barton Road and Water Eaton Industrial Estate.