Newark's Abbott&Co has a personal message for poorly Boris Johnson as it breathes life into coronavirus patients

This one is for you Boris — that's the message pinned by a Newark manufacturer to a pressure vessel that will provide life-saving oxygen at one of the new Nightingale hospitals hurriedly set up to take coronavirus patients.

Staff at Abbott & Co ­— classed as key workers ­— are helping the fight against the virus by making vessels used in a range of applications that keep Britain going.

"While people are isolating, our staff are coming into work, following the safety guidelines, to make vessels that will supply air and oxygen to people in intensive care units in the new Nightingale hospitals ­— and that brings a great sense of pride to us all," said Henry Price, managing director of the Northern Road firm.

"Our vessels might not be pretty ­— you might not want them on display in your home ­— but they are essential at the moment, and we are doing our bit to help defeat coronavirus."

Like the groundcrews who would scrawl messages on the bombs dropped on Germany during the second world war, Abbott workers are pinning messages to their vessels, the first six of which went out on a 40ft lorry dispatched to the Nightingale Field Hospital in Glasgow.

'This one is for you Boris' is a reference of support to Prime Minister Boris Johnson who was put in intensive care with coronavirus.

Once installed, the vessels will help supply air to patients on ventilators.

Others are set to follow as the Nightingale hospitals come online.

The NHS Nightingale hospitals are critical care field hospitals, being set up by NHS England as part of the response to the pandemic.

Other uses of the vessels manufactured in Newark during coronavirus have vital, if sometimes little-known uses, such as in hospital laundry steam plants, in nitrogen for food packing, in refrigerated coolers in supermarkets, in bread-making ovens and in providing carbon dioxide for drink-bottling plants.

Still more include uses in clean water or sewage plants.

"Things would grind to a halt fast without them — the drains wouldn't be cleared, the vegetables wouldn't be fresh, we want bread and ventilators need oxygen," said Mr Price.

Metal worker Dennis Shutler, who has been with Abbott for 41 years, said: "It's a good thing that we are doing.

"It's nice to be able to help the NHS. It makes me proud to be able to do our bit."

Engineer Terry White said: "More than anything, it makes me proud to be at work. Despite the pandemic, I want to get out of bed, come into work and help out."

Caroline Young, who works in sales and admin, said she felt useful and valued during the pandemic and had a purpose.

Abbott has over 135 years of experience in the manufacture of pressure vessels and air receivers, standard range and bespoke.