Last Updated on 20/10/2023 by Samantha Lewis
From left to right: David Ellison, BHTA Membership Engagement Manager. David Stockdale, BHTA Chief Executive Office. David Beavis, MediSmart Technologies Sales Director.
MediSmart Technologies Ltd is one of the UK’s leading developers of smart solutions to answer the needs of medical staff and patients for hybrid pressure relief systems. In August, the BHTA Chief Executive, David Stockdale, and BHTA Membership Engagement Manager, David Ellison, visited their impressive headquarters in Luton.
Launched in 2017, as a sister company of MJS Group, Medismart Technologies design and manufacture their Pneumatic Compression, Pressure Relief and Cold Therapy systems entirely in the UK, supplying clinics, physiotherapists and sports rehabilitation clinics, home carers, and hospitals.
MediSmart Technologies Sales Director, David Beavis, gave the BHTA party a tour of their offices and warehouse, and they then sat down to discuss the state of play in the UK healthcare sector, and the various issues that are hampering medical supply companies in the UK.
David Beavis, as the BHTA section Chair, discussed the challenges that many member companies, including MediSmart Technologies, are facing at the moment.
There is an issue to be addressed with regard to companies, with innovative products manufactured here in the UK, not being given a fair opportunity to assist the NHS and Social Care in favour of alternatives from elsewhere with their global and logistical challenges from abroad.
David pointed out that he had received phone calls from suppliers who were being questioned by their patients/service users questioning the amount of energy being used in some large dynamic mattresses and even considering switching off pumps at the detriment of appropriate pressure area care.
It is important that all relevant BHTA members are aware of this and possibly consider innovative systems that operate effectively by using a lot less energy and David Stockdale confirmed that the BHTA is planning a series of campaigns to help members negotiate the issues caused by brexit, cost of living, recession, and post-pandemic changes, both organisational and financial.
One campaign in the pipeline is raising awareness of Tissue Viability Nurses (TVN).
TVNs are key users of pressure relief products and it was agreed that a wound care case study would be useful, as well as a survey of TVNs, to determine how they choose mattresses, beds and cushions.
David Stockdale raised the issue of inflation on the cost of living crisis, coupled with the fact that consumers are having to buy products privately as they can’t wait for the NHS to supply, and said:
“The Department of Works and Pensions needs to increase Disability Pensions to keep up with the current galloping inflation.”