NHS contracts help UKDI to a bumper six months

UKDI, the Thornton Clevelys-based business which produces and innovative new style of stretcher, has recorded a bumper six months of sales after securing four new NHS contracts.

The company produces the Recovery+, a lightweight, highly flexible three-part foldable stretcher made entirely from plastic.

The product is designed to provide a range of safe options for emergency responses and has been used by the NHS for two years.

And now, with help from Lancashire business support agency Boost and the Innovation Agency, the academic health science network for the North West coast, UKDI has secured new contracts with four NHS trusts.

The stretcher was developed by UKDI director Nick Gray, who previously worked at high security Rampton Hospital, and his son-in-law Paul, a former police officer.

Nick said: “The stretcher is produced with simple principles, in particular the way a person would like to be treated, with a specific focus on compassion, dignity and safety for carers and patients alike.”

Nick and Paul initially developed the Recovery+ stretcher to manage individuals exhibiting challenging behaviour with greater safety and efficiency. However, after consultations with a wide range of frontline emergency responders, they discovered that the stretcher could be used in much more diverse applications.

The company cut its links with its original manufacturer to allow greater flexibility in design and manufacturing costs. This enabled UKDI to broaden its product portfolio to better meet the needs of the NHS, at affordable prices.

Boost and the Innovation Agency work together in Healthcare Business Connect Lancashire, a support programme helping Lancashire businesses working in the healthcare and life sciences sector to make the right connections in the NHS.

Nick said: “The Innovation Agency has helped us to recognise that customers’ needs are varied, reflecting the different segments of the market. Although we had made a great product with passion, attention to operational detail, care and dedication, it needed to be something customers could afford, at a competitive market price and now we have been able to achieve exactly that. “We continue to receive great support in the form of workshops, commercial advice, clinical and consumer design improvements, along with priceless introductions to connect with key decision-makers in the NHS. This has helped feed growing awareness, resulting in confirmed orders and expressions of interest.”