Posted on 24-August-2020   by Imogen Jones

Supporting Nightingale Hospitals and Intensive Care Units during COVID-19

Supporting Nightingale hospitals with sharps containers

Infection prevention has always been a priority for both Daniels Healthcare (a Mauser UK packaging company) and the NHS.

Keeping staff, patients and visitors safe by doing everything possible to prevent infection from spreading to others is taken seriously. This includes the safe disposal and segregation of clinical waste and sharps which has never been more important than during this time of an international pandemic.

As the world began to realise the acute impact of coronavirus on health services, NHS Supply Chain contacted Daniels Healthcare in early April 2020 with a request for three million sharps and clinical waste containers over the next three months; double the usual amount over that timeframe.

Not only did they need to meet current rising demand and support the new Nightingale Hospitals, they also had to plan for a worse-case scenario in ICUs and have a solid supply of future stock for any impending spikes and waves.

From that point onwards, we were in daily contact (and sometimes more regularly than that!) with NHS Supply Chain. Our manufacturing team suspended the manufacture of some lower priority products and prioritised production to maximise efficiency and output from the factory. We called upon some of our other long-standing partners for additional resource, booked more deliveries and planned manufacturing time week by week to make this possible. Everyone worked with determination, dedication and understanding.

Alastair Clay, Buyer, NHS Supply Chain, said: “Mauser UK, continue to provide great support throughout the continuing pandemic. Reacting well to fluctuating volume demands at very short notice.

“NHS Supply Chain and Mauser UK continue to collaborate together, putting emphasis on continued availability across the range and maintaining a stock surplus in case of a future requirement.

“I want to personally thank all the staff at Mauser UK for their continued efforts to ensure that the NHS has the products they need to continue to deliver quality patient care.”

On the 30th July 2020, the last delivery of containers was dispatched to the NHS, successfully meeting strict, necessary deadline and considerable quantity of three million containers in three months.

Kevin Cundy, Head of Sales and Marketing at Daniels Healthcare, said: “We are proud of our collaborative partnership with the NHS. The close working relationship we have built together over the years has been central to our ability to deliver the increased demand of containers during this challenging time.

“It is at times like these you find out what a business is made of. Well, I can honestly say when the NHS asked us to double production almost overnight, we were severely tested, but our amazing team pulled together and not only met our commitments but came out of this period of increased demand stronger and with added confidence in our abilities. Along the way we also built stronger networks with our neighbours and supply chains, but most importantly, we delivered on our promises. I am very proud to say ‘thank you NHS, and well done team’.”

Imogen is the Product Manager for our SHARPSGUARD® range, and our Marketing Manager for the UK & Ireland.