Healthcare Supplier of the Year

Air Sentry Limited

Leeds University Hospital trust Objectives To proactively respond to the needs and requirements of our client implementing a ventilation safety group ahead, well ahead of the release of HTM 03.01.A. This looked at the trusts strategic and tactical situation around ventilation in relation to sars-cov-2.

Outcomes, achievements, planning and execution We supplied testing from pathogen research Leeds 2010 directly comparable to the SAGE report 2020 using 1µm staph. Following ventilation assessments, included, we attended and undertook our own assessment using particle counting and 1µm smoke. This approach is only just starting to filter through to research around new regulations (see H.I.S paper from Jon Otter, another client). This allowed the trust to make an informed risk assessment for their Accident Department areas, able to be subsequently utilised for responding to other ward areas as omicron created exceptional pressure on capability.

We loaned units to the Accident department at St James and undertook live testing, working alongside the ventilation safety group. This included undertaking a staff appraisal working with the AD management. It was concluded that aiming for an equivalent to ISO 8 (Pharmacy clean room) was sufficient to conclude that alongside robust infection control for touch and droplet transmission clinical risk would be reduced to near zero. This is subsequently starting to be shown by research, as per the paper from Cambridge included. Our close working relationship on this basis, also with other trusts, caused us to increase our buffer stock holding as we could see that the risk of another wave was increasing. None of our potential clients were in the position of placing quick orders so we decided to supply purely on verbal agreement.

We delivered 16 units to Leeds without any documentation, on a loan basis, the next day. Subsequently we worked with them and also with other client trusts to supply as much as we could, nearly all without purchase orders. We also maintained our discounts to everyone. As our client base worked long hours, our team worked over weekends, also the early hours, to get as many units as we could to the front line. We are very proud to have been able to support a national effort to combat this disease by improving safety for patients and staff. Originality Currently Air Sentry is the only known mix mode recirculating system we are aware of which seeks to meet the requirements of HTM 03.01.A. We comply with EN14644 part 3 for filtration and can accept 20-50% air mix or work with fresh air.

Innovation and delivery of desirable economic development We are a British innovation, 100% UK sourced, working on in-room recirculation and hybrid ventilation models. The pandemic has shown that this is likely to become an exciting new area of healthcare ventilation (although we have been working on this since 2000). In addition, the need to hit net zero should also make our work of interest as we can reduce ventilation emissions by 70% or more.

Arco Healthcare

In 2020, whilst health services were struggling to source PPE and ensure all their workers were adequately protected, Arco stepped in to supply essential PPE and face-fitting services to Scotland’s Health and Social Care.

Arco continued to supply NHS Scotland successfully and reliably over the last 12 months; to 50 local hubs for distribution to over 2,700 sites. Clare Casciani, Health and Safety Advisor, NHS Lothian said: “Without Arco support, we would not have been able to achieve this all. It’s been a wonderful, incredibly valuable service, thank you.”*

We also worked with NHS Scotland to meet their social value goals, supporting Action for Children. Supplied UK manufactured, critical PPE through difficult times From May 2021 to May 2022, Arco supplied 100 million surgical masks, 4 million visors and 1 million FFP3 masks, meeting around 87% of Scotland’s healthcare needs. “One of the biggest challenges we had was that staff were adequately protected with the provision of PPF3 masks. As well as providing a plentiful supply, we had value and support providing staff training but also face fit testing.”*

Arco guaranteed all deliveries, facilitating arrangements with vendors, holding stock in their 40,000 pallet National Distribution Centre, and storage at local Arco stores. The business has a 99.85% rate for on time orders and worked closely with NHS logistics teams to expediate the process and agree delivery schedules.

Their portfolio of UK manufactured products ensured a more resilient, sustainable supply. Ensured all staff and patients were thoroughly protected Arco worked with hospital teams throughout Scotland to deliver a face-fit testing program, ensuring Facilities, Estates and Clinical workers felt safe and were protected with correctly fitting FFP3 masks.

In the past year we’ve efficiently managed over 3,000 days of Fit2Fit approved testing, across all shifts. Arco also organised face-fit training for NHS staff. We delivered bespoke training days, and continued coaching and mentoring staff so they themselves were trained to Fit2Fit standards. Several have gone on to pass their Fit2Fit examination. “On behalf of the team, I would like to express our appreciation for the valuable support we received from Arco supporting us prior to our quantitative Fit2Fit accreditation exam. We all benefited greatly from being able to examine and probe a variety of half-face and full-face masks, on more than one occasion.

The team were also on hand to help answer any questions. I would highly recommend this support is available to other NHS staff.”* Product expert advice Using a five-step process, Arco select products that meet quality, reliability and ethical standards. Arco were able to identify when counterfeit and non-compliant PPE entered circulation and thanks to their in-house, independently accredited Product Assurance Laboratory, gave NHS Scotland the confidence that all products supplied were quality assured and fully compliant.

Arco and Alpha Solway worked together to supply UK manufactured products. Optimised packaging was also introduced for improved storage and, in 2021, we launched a new better fitting, comfortable mask developed using face fit data and collaboration with new product development forums.

BAM Construction – Refurbishment Works at Aintree University Hospital

BAM have been supplying their services to Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for the past year by improving their facilities through refurbishment works. The works at Aintree University Hospital, which has seen a complete façade facelift, a refurbishment of a vacant Mental Health Unit building and an extension of the Critical Care Unit to provide state-of-the-art facilities.

The external building fabric remained as-built and was exhibiting physical distress to the concrete and windows. The Trust also recognised the building was thermally inefficient, required high levels of heating energy, had high operational carbon emissions and had increasing maintenance costs. Its appearance didn’t reflect the quality of services provided within. It was determined the optimal solution was to overclad the existing building with a new insulated aluminium rainscreen and integrated high-performance timber-aluminium composite windows. This single intervention is proven to address appearance, thermal performance and carbon emissions of the building – key objectives for the project – as well as extend its useful life.

The Critical Care Unit Expansion project is an extension to the existing 24-bed critical care unit, part of the Urgent Care and Trauma Centre development. One primary focus throughout the design stages was to ensure the equipment and facilities were suitable to offer all critically ill patients the best possible care. Input provided by hospital staff during early consultation meant operational activities and day-to-day work patterns were fully communicated to provide a deep understanding of how the new facility operate optimally, once complete. Another primary objective of this scheme was the removal and replacement of the existing RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) plank roofing system. This project is the first RAAC roofing removal and replacement in-situ. This replacement uniquely took place above a live hospital meaning a completely weathertight environment was formed, using a scaffold tent.

As a result of the trailblazing RAAC replacement works and methods used, BAM are already engaging with the RAAC Technical Lead for NHS E&I to share the knowledge and experience gained nationally. Stoddart House was vacant for approximately 5 years prior to refurbishment and was previously a Mental Health Unit for adults. The project saw the re-modelling and refurbishment of the 2-storey former mental health service building, into a 69-bed Intermediate Care Centre.

The service, within Stoddart House, now provides step down capacity from acute trusts for medically stable and optimised patients, whose care and assessment can be continued in a non-acute setting. It has a mixture of single and double bed rooms with dedicated ensuites, and associated support space including Activities of Daily Living (ADL) kitchen/dining rooms, quiet rooms, treatment and assessment areas. Clare Pratt, Associate Director of Nursing and Integration of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust stated, “I found the governance around delivery of the project particularly good.

Communication with the Project Manager was excellent throughout the project and all minor issues were dealt with quickly and efficiently. We were left with a superb build that staff, users, visitors and regulators have all commented on the high quality spec and finish”.

BeaconMedaes – Medical Gas Solutions

BeaconMedaes is a leader in end-to-end medical gas pipeline Solutions (MGPS). Our expertise encompasses equipment manufacturing, system design, installation, commissioning, preventative maintenance contracts and servicing.

Last October we moved into our 42,000 sq. ft facility located in the heart of the UK. This is where we provide consolidated logistics and keep extensive stocks, enabled us to focus on providing improved service delivery and customer satisfaction. The site includes a pressurised demonstration area and state of the art training facilities for our staff and customers.

Over the last 12 months we have completed over 250 installation jobs, including thousands of man hours. These vary from small works, resilience oxygen pipelines to major new builds. We continue our extensive installation works at the Midland Metropolitan Hospital, due for completion beyond 2022.

We have provided maintenance and emergency service support at well over 400 NHS & private facilities, the length and breadth of the UK. Our CE marked products continue to be shipped to 3rd party UK installers as well as globally, offering 1st in class performance and quality. We have been busy innovating as well. This includes the launch of MedGasScan, our on site audit that helps the facility reduce risk and cost by identifying and measuring leaks on the pipeline system.

Oxygen leaks pose a serious fire hazard and the escape of nitrous oxide gases can contribute significantly to a facility’s emissions and carbon footprint. We have identified systems losing hundreds of litres per meter, costing thousands of pounds in waste gas. Last July our Medipoint alarm went digital and was showcased at Healthcare Estates exhibition. Our anaesthetic gas scavenge plant (AGS) was introduced globally last year also, with the 1st UK model installed just recently.

Alongside this BeaconMedaes have partnered with MedClair as their sole installer and maintenance provider for their CDU. The CDU offers new technology in way of a smart catalytic purification system to decompose the environmentally hazardous nitrous oxide (in the exhaled air) into nitrogen and oxygen. Once commissioned this system will enable the Royal Victoria Hospital, Newcastle to provide the UK’s 1st net zero birth via a centralised pipe system.

We hope to support the NHS’s drive towards net zero by installing these products in maternity units across the UK. All our projects are designed using 3D Revit modelling software, producing a suite of as-fitted and design drawings. Our products are modelled in BIM format, allowing us to produce accurate room layout drawings that visualise how the equipment can be maintained and inspected. This makes us truly unique as both an equipment manufacturer, design support and installation provider. Underpinning all our services is MyMedGas. A digital platform through which to manage the entire Medical Gas Pipeline System.

A user-friendly information management dashboard visually tracks, analyses and displays key performance indicators, monitors the health and status of assets, and provides intelligible reporting and insight. This system continues to expand and develop on a monthly basis. Whatever your medical gas requirements, your system is safe in our hands.

Germfree’s cGMP Mobile Cleanroom Solutions

Following the pandemic, the healthcare Industry has seen leaps forward in innovation. Germfree’s mobile cleanrooms accelerate the development & commercialisation of next generation medicines, bringing them to market and helping change patient lives. This is a hugely important Irish innovation for healthcare provision, the future of point-of-care delivery of modern medicine. It is the dedication of the Germfree team that enables rapid deployment of critical infrastructure both to cutting edge research facilities, and the front lines of global health security. About Germfree Germfree designs and manufactures complete BioPharma mobile and modular facilities to provide fast and flexible cGMP-compliant production space. We deliver these facilities to European markets.

Germfree mobile solutions are rapidly deployable to address immediate needs while providing the same cleanroom and biocontainment capabilities as fixed-site modules. Our solutions are operational in a fraction of the time required for traditional construction. Additional to the significant time savings are speed of availability and flexibility to meet the ever-evolving ATMP space. These versatile offsite-built facilities support bioproduction for pre-clinical or clinical stage materials.

The modules are all uniquely stackable and suitable for internal and external use. Once scale-up or scale-out needs are identified, additional modules can be added seamlessly. Rental options are also available. Objectives, Outcomes and Achievements. Our objective was to inform the market of this critical innovation for healthcare provision. We brought the mobile cleanroom on a Roadshow across the UK and Ireland so that experts in the industry could see first-hand that Germfree’s mobile cGMP cleanrooms are the ideal solution for temporary or long-term process space.

At the Advanced Therapies Congress in London, more than 100 industry experts experienced the 40 foot modular. The audience gained insight into the development of the trailer and how the speed of the availability accelerates the development and commercialisation of next generation medicines, eliminates complex and costly logistics challenges while also increasing patient access Already this year we have deployed several modular cleanrooms.

We partnered with a major Biotechnology company to create an end-to-end manufacturing network for mRNA-based vaccines using stackable modular cleanrooms Following the success of this project we have been contracted for two further phases. CRB described the project as “ground-breaking” and “the universal solution for production”, they noted “Germfree are a very reliable company and passionate about doing the right thing for the success of the project. It was our first time working together, we were facing a very compressed schedule and a first of its kind product.

We felt very comfortable working with the Germfree team and we are looking forward to working with them again on the next project” – Daniel Fritsche, Senior Engineering Manager at CRB. In July 2022, Germfree, in collaboration with the Cell Therapy Company aCGT, will bring the roadshow to St. James’s Hospital in Dublin. . Germfree are working with aCGT to locate mobile cleanroom manufacturing systems in cancer centers of excellence which will eliminate complex logistics challenges, dramatically reducing the cost of the novel personalised medicines and increasing patient access.

North Devon District Hospital / MIG / Jubilee Ward

Our entry for Healthcare Supplier of the Year is the completion of a new elective procedure ward for North Devon Hospital. The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUHT) had recognised a backlog of orthopaedic surgery. In order to increase throughput, they needed a dedicated orthopaedic ward, which required additional capacity within North Devon Hospital. In order to deliver the additional space for its elective procedure patient area, the trust brought in MIG and Wernick Group to deliver a full modular fit out.

The project required a complete turnkey solution for the hospital’s new 10 bed Jubilee ward, delivered to an extremely high clinical standard, while keeping within a strict budget and meeting a tight 10-week deadline. Wernick Group provided the outer shell of the building, while we were tasked with the specialist fit out of a full medical gas pipeline, furniture, medical equipment, air conditioning and HVAC system.

Having previously worked with both the Trust and Wernick Group, we have built an excellent level of understanding and trust between partners. From dealing with additional COVID-related safety and supply issues, to ensuring minimal disruption to the hospital’s ongoing clinical activities, we could collaborate and overcome the challenges of working within the timescale and to a high standard. This collaboration meant we were able to keep downtime for the hospital to just one week – which is an unusually short period of time for a project of this size – and the new ward was utilised within just seven days of it being handed over.

Marsh Pullen, capital contracts manager at the RDUHT, said: “The trust has a long track record of working with MIG. They have delivered previously on other project for us: Consistently high standards, consistently good quality, and good value on some pretty tricky jobs. “MIG’s previous track record of working with the healthcare sector was paramount to the delivery of this ward. They helped us along the way with decisions on specification and how we would get over some of the challenges that we met with the ward. So, having an educated contractor like MIG was invaluable. “One of the biggest challenges with the Jubilee Ward was the speed at which we required the finished ward to be opened, and MIG rose to the challenge. They worked the hours, the days, the weekends that were required to meet the target, and that was really important to us. “MIG are a really valuable partner to the trust. The expertise they bring is really important and their ‘can-do’ attitude to getting projects completed to a high standard is really important. I thoroughly endorse MIG to anybody else in the future. “So far, the response to the new ward has been fantastic. The clinical users absolutely love it and it’s been put into immediate use treating elective orthopaedic patients.”

Ocura Healthcare Furniture

Healthcare provider of the year – Ocura It is a bold claim to say you are the healthcare provider of the year, even more so in these challenging times. For this reason, we considered long and hard if we should apply. The result of the debate, we understood the positive difference we and our products make to the lives of those in healthcare daily.

Can a manufacturer of furniture really make a positive difference to the lives those people who come into contact with hospitals daily? Yes. We looked at this question from the perspective of a few people, a hospital cleaner, a nurse, a consultant, a visitor and of course, a patient. The outcome surprised us, and we hope you will at least from reading our submission, think more about how furniture impacts every aspect of what we do, no matter if we are at home, at work or at play.

As a cleaner, you want to be able to ‘one wipe’ high contact areas frequently, you need to be able to move products easily to clean, you have a high number of tasks to perform and repeated multiple actions. Our house keeping castors on our patient side chair is something so simple, hardly seen by many but a life changer as it stops heavy lifting and makes a repeated task easier. Visible side cleaning gaps means you are safe knowing there is not sharp or foreign objects.

Nurses are busy, we all know this, so why do so many products make their lives more difficult than they need to be. These days more and more medical tasks involve the use of IT, unlike many office workers, nurses do not sit behind desks with appropriate furniture, many are on the ward and need a solution for their IT needs on the ward.

Our mobile workstation provides a surface for writing notes and resting clinical trays, it is height adjustable to encourage good posture and reduce the impact on backs during a busy shift. When nurses tell you they are now an essential part of their daily life, you know the product has had a positive effect. Imparting detailed important information can be a large part of what a consultant is doing. Being able to do this on eye level reduces stress to both parties, eases the communication and improves efficiency in a busy shift.

Our electrically adjustable chairs have memory functions to enable the transition from human to patient to take place with dignity and efficiency while consultant scrubs for example. Small differences in design, big positive impacts in daily life. Visitors and patients, many of us have been in these two groups, we can relate to these groups easier. Having a chair that converts to a bed, enabling a parent to stay in comfort with an unwell child, or just enabling a few hours’ sleep at difficult times to be with someone in their last hours, can there be a product that changes a situation more?