Bullshit Bingo by Graham Edmonds (Southbank Publishing, £6.99 pb) www.southbankpublishing.com
Are you a results-driven team player who thinks outside the box? Do you go the extra mile to help your customers identify the win-win in pushing the envelope? Are you committed to blue sky thinking in order to benchmark the bottom line going forward? If so, your colleagues are probably already playing Bullshit Bingo. Graham Edmonds’ guide to vacuous business jargon is essential reading for sales professionals who are expected to be fluent in bullshit when talking with those for whom it is a mother tongue. Edmonds breaks his subject down into categories – HR, marketing, finance, consulting, IT – and concludes each chapter with a Bullshit Bingo card to help you survive meetings. Edmonds’ explanations of office bullshit are often hilarious, but with a serious point: he’s not just talking about garbled language but about manipulation, spin and plain deceit. For example, he describes benchmarking as: “A classic bullshit term as it can be used to demonstrate breadth of experience and ability to see the wider view. Used by consultants to extend their contracts. ‘We’ll have to benchmark extensively so we can get a holistic view of the market in all its guises.’” This book will not only save your sanity at conference (you’ll need two copies of each BB card), it will help you to improve the clarity and sense of your own language. You might even become a different team in the second half.	On Target special book offer Southbank Publishing are offering a free copy of Bullshit Bingo by Graham Edmonds to the first 5 On Target readers who answer this question convincingly: What is blue sky thinking? Send your answer to joel.lane@healthpublishing.co.uk. You can order Bullshit Bingo for the special price of £3.99 including free p&p in the UK (normally £6.99 + p&p) by phoning Turnaround Publishers Services on 0208 8293002 and quoting ‘Health publishing offer’.
Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni (Wiley, £14.95 hb) www.eu.wiley.com
Patrick Lencioni has been round the track a few times, and should certainly know what he’s talking about: the company he founded has groomed some of the best organisations in the States to work more profitably, from start-ups to Microsoft. In Death by Meeting he’s on home ground, instructing meeting-averse managers how to get the best out of these weekly/monthly ordeals by redesigning them from the neck down. Why, Lencioni asks, would we prefer to spend 96 minutes watching When Harry Met Sally when there’s more drama and excitement to be had from spending the same time with the other line managers? The answer is, because we don’t expect meetings to provide drama and excitement.	How do we remedy this situation? Ensure that someone pulls out a gun? No, just get involved. All the excitement you need will be there for the taking. As he says: Imagine hearing a surgeon saying to a nurse before surgery: “If I didn’t have to operate on people, I might actually like this job.” Lencioni comes up with four styles of meeting to encourage the most apathetic attendees: from the five-minute stand-up to the offsite quarterly two-day event. They all have their inner dynamics, and each one should leave us planning for the future rather than regretting the past. Whether you’re selling analysers or analgesics, you get involved in meetings. They’re not to be avoided, says Lencioni, they’re to be embraced. And he’s right. His style may be a spot folksy and all-American, but he writes in bite-sized chunks that are easy to swallow and even easier to comprehend and utilise. Highly recommended: you could even take it to your next meeting. David Learner is Business Development and Resourcing Manager at Delta Consultants.
On Target special offer winners: free copies of Touching the Void by Joe Simpson were won by Chris Czyrko and Ron Smith. Will it be you next time?

 

 

AfPP annual Congress and Exhibition: Realising Potential

(8–11 October 2007, Harrogate)

On Target previews a key commercial event for the medical devices and equipment sector.

The theme of the Association for Perioperative Practice’s 43rd Annual Congress is ‘Realising Potential’. This theme operates on many different levels, from individual delegates realising their own potential in clinical practice to medtech exhibitors realising their potential through increased sales and swelling contact books. Around 3000 visitors are expected to attend the Exhibition at the Harrogate International Centre, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, the largest of its kind outside the US. 1000 of these will also attend the Congress educational sessions. The Exhibition has already confirmed bookings for over 150 exhibitors. The Congress includes an afternoon (on Tuesday 9th October) dedicated to healthcare procurement, with leading names in purchasing and supplies. The four principal speakers are: • Ian Shepherd – Chief Executive of the Resource Collaborative Procurement Hub • Karen Ray – Clinical Procurement Specialist at Rotherham Foundation Trust • Ian Poxon – Chair of the National Network of Clinical Procurement Specialists • Elaine Alsop – Business Manager for Operating Theatres at NHS Supply Chain. They will be speaking on a range of subjects including integrated procurement, clinical perspective in purchasing, and working with commercial partners to increase efficiency. Each exhibiting company is provided with two free Congress passes that can be used to attend any of the sessions. Further passes are available for purchase; you can order an application form by e-mailing lindsay.cooke@afpp.org.uk, or book by visiting www.afpp.org.uk and following the Congress 2007 links.

Quotes from AfPP’s 2006 Exhibition “A high-quality exhibition attracting good delegates. An automatic choice on our exhibition calendar.” – C. Lawes, Sales Director, Proact Medical “AfPP is one of five major exhibitions Vernon-Carus attend annually. Over the years we have found AfPP to be the most dependable in its organisation and quality of attendees and delegates.” – Tim Eaglen, Marketing and Communications Manager, Vernon- Carus AfPP 2006 Exhibition facts 77% of visitors have an influence on purchasing decisions. 50% of the audience were either first-time or second-time attendees. 10,000 square feet of Exhibition space were used. 1,894 bed spaces were taken in Harrogate and surrounding areas.

 

 

 

It’s time to get personal

Your job is important. So why leave your vital statistics in the hands of CV distributors or automated online services? In the battle to find the best career move, Kirkham Young believes that getting ahead means getting personal.

Finding the right job is one of the toughest challenges we face in our professional lives. In the competitive recruitment market, companies play out an intense and ongoing battle for talent. In turn, candidates slug it out to find and impress the best employers. In such a combative environment, how do you give yourself the best chance of success?

Choosing an agency

The recent explosion of online recruitment media has added a further dimension to the process of finding employment. Yet despite the advantages this brings in terms of speed and accessibility, traditional methodology remains by far the most effective means of finding and securing the right opportunity. There is no substitute for human interaction and, to this effect, the benefits of using a recruitment consultancy that knows its market and understands its clients significantly outweigh the lottery of automated systems that match CVs with ‘keywords’ and leave the rest to you. The question remains, then: if you’re searching for a new job and don’t know where to start, what should you look for in an agency?

A good recruitment consultancy will have a range of attributes. These can be broken down into 3 Cs:

• Contacts
• Capability
• Customer service.

Fundamentally, a consultancy will have a broad range of contacts and will be able to put you in touch with recruiting companies that you would otherwise be unable to access. It will also offer expertise in the science of recruiting and knowledge of your market and its current needs. Critically, a good consultancy will also provide customer service – an ability to understand the requirements of candidates and clients alike, and to communicate them effectively throughout the process.

A rare breed

Although the composite of the 3 Cs dramatically dwarfs the narrow capabilities of online recruitment methodology, agencies that genuinely offer all of these disciplines are rare.

But they do exist. One such example can be found at Kirkham Young, a dedicated healthcare recruitment consultancy that consistently delivers high standards for both candidates and clients. This month, Kirkham Young celebrates its third birthday. In a short period of time, the company has established itself as one of the leading players in the market and has already achieved preferred-supplier status – the modern-day Holy Grail for recruitment companies – with 15 blue-chip multinationals in the healthcare sector. So how has it done this, and what does it mean for healthcare sales and marketing professionals looking for a new role in the market?

Customer service

“It’s all about customer service,” says Sam Kirkham, Director and co-Founder of Kirkham Young. “We provide a highly personalised service for all candidates who come to us looking to find work. Whether we are dealing with a graduate who is trying to find their first job or an MD looking for their next move, we offer an individual tailored approach. We take time to identify the aspirations of our candidates and then match them with the needs of our clients. It’s not just about sending people to interviews and filling vacancies, it’s about making sure that you’re trying to place the right person in the right role. That makes everyone, clients and candidates, happy.”

The approach is clearly working. Kirkham Young’s client-base continues to grow at an impressive rate and provides candidates with a huge variety of options. “We have a strong and diverse client-base,” says Tina Young, also Director and co-Founder of the company. “A lot of our clients are major blue-chip companies – around three quarters of our business is the direct result of the preferred supplier agreements we have achieved with them, and we are currently at tender for more. But we also have long-term relationships with a number of smaller, niche-market players as well as an increasing number of start-up companies. For candidates registering with us, you get access to a really broad selection of potential employers. We offer a real choice.”

A broad client-base

Such choice is a major attraction for candidates, and helps underpin Kirkham Young’s commitment to provide a bespoke service. This was certainly the case for Steve Mordecai, Marketing Manager at Respitronics, who had very specific requirements when he registered with Kirkham Young earlier this year. “Having worked in France and Belgium for over 10 years and been very flexible in where I worked, I went to Kirkham Young looking for a UK position in a fairly specific location to suit changing family circumstances. They listened to what I wanted and came back with an opportunity that they felt suited me.

It was very focused. Kirkham Young had the right contacts and, helped by a long-standing relationship with my now current employer, were able to match my requirements quickly and professionally.”

A commitment to high standards

The professionalism of Kirkham Young is underlined by its ongoing commitment to high standards of customer service. To reflect this, the company is currently undergoing an audit for the prestigious ISO9000 status.

“ISO accreditation shows candidates that we follow strict procedures for their benefit,” says Sam Kirkham. “We never send out a CV without first discussing it, we provide candidates with all the necessary information in writing before an interview, as well as calling them prior to it and beyond it to offer support and receive feedback. Things like this have been our procedures since the outset – ISO accreditation is just a matter of formalising them. And very few agencies have it.”

Further proof that Kirkham Young practices what it preaches is provided by Gill Platt, who had previously spent 26 years working as a neonatal nurse practitioner in the NHS before looking to make a careerchanging move to the industry. “This was such a huge step for me,” says Gill, now Territory Manager for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. “I honestly couldn’t have done this without Kirkham Young. They were very, very encouraging and I’m not sure I would have had the courage to make the jump without their support.”

Views from the field Siobhan Boyce, Mölnlycke After I had already registered with two other agencies, Kirkham Young was recommended to me by somebody who I’d worked alongside at my previous company. They were easy to talk to and very helpful. Our early discussions were about identifying the right role and the right environment for me. They quickly honed in on the best opportunity and within a few days I’d met up with my now current boss. Prior to that, they gave me all the right information on the company, whom they were familiar with. By the time I went to the interview I was very confident that I was going prepared. Kirkham Young is a very personable company. They offer a very personal service. I would certainly recommend them. Susannah Cooper, Cardinal Alaris I’d contacted Kirkham Young looking for a change of career direction, having worked for years as a paediatric nurse. Having chatted through my ambitions, I was offered the opportunity to go for a role as a Paediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist. The process was remarkably quick. They helped put my CV into a better format and gave me tips on the interview process, preparing me for what I could expect – I’d previously only experienced NHS interviews. They also helped me prepare my presentation for the second interview. They gave me so much confidence. I was delighted to get the job. From start to finish, from joining the agency to getting the job, it took only 8 weeks. I am so grateful for Kirkham Young’s advice and am not sure I could have got through it without them. They are honest, helpful and efficient.

A bespoke service

Gill’s experience exemplifies the consultative approach Kirkham Young adopts with its candidates. “At the outset they took a lot of information about my background and ambitions and, given my experiences in neonatal, were very honest with me about their expectations: I was looking for a very specific role in training, and opportunities would be limited. A few months later an opening appeared and an interview was set up extremely quickly. I got excellent service before the interview – they were able to get me answers to questions and concerns that I felt might have been inappropriate to ask at interview – and within a few hours of meeting their client, I was offered the job.

After this, Kirkham Young handled all the negotiations and really set me up for a job that I thoroughly enjoy. I certainly had a full and personal service from them. I felt like I was the only one on their books!”

Kirkham Young feels its commitment to individual customer service sets it apart from many other agencies. “We offer a bespoke service,” says Sam Kirkham. “Everybody wants something different, and you have to be able to tailor your approach to the individual in front of you, whether client or candidate.”

In the war for talent in a competitive healthcare market, recruitment at the sharp end is getting personal. And Kirkham Young is leading the way.

To find your perfect job, call Kirkham Young on 0870 787 3134 or visit the website: www.kirkhamyoung.co.uk.

 

 

 

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Lorraine Willis of Achiive Ltd offers some advice on taking that crucial first step with the customer.

It takes a quick glance, maybe 10 seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In that time the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanour, your mannerisms and what you are carrying.

With every new sales encounter, you are evaluated and another customer’s impression of you is formed. These first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo: the first sales encounters set the tone for the business relationships that follow.

Whether the meeting is in your career or your social life, in sales or marketing, it’s vital to know how to create a good first impression. It won’t happen twice.

Setting up a meeting

First impressions start when you make your appointment. How you deal with the receptionist, secretary, customer or agency when making the appointment has a greater effect than you may think. The receptionist’s first impression of you may be passed on to their colleagues and managers, laying the basis for your later call.

People attend a meeting for one reason: they value the time spent doing that above anything else they could be doing at that time. How professionally you organise the meeting and communicate its objectives will have an effect on the attendance and outcome. You will be adding value right from the start.

People are uncomfortable and embarrassed with a poorly-run meeting because it reflects on their own professionalism, especially if they invited you to run the meeting in the first place. The rule is: Plan – Do – Review (see the box on page 15).

Present and correct

Be on time. The customer you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your good excuse for running late. Plan to arrive well before your meeting is due to start, and allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or taking a wrong turn. Arriving early beats arriving late hands down.

Be professionally relaxed. If you are feeling uncomfortable and nervous, this will make the customer feel the same. If you are calm, confident and professional then the customer will feel more at ease, setting a basis for mutual understanding.

There’s nothing like a genuine smile to create the right impact. A warm and confident smile will make both you and the customer feel relaxed. But don't go overboard: people who take this too far can seem insincere and smarmy. A genuine smile is reflected in your eyes, so let them sparkle!

The right look

The person you are meeting for the first time does not know you, and your personal appearance is usually the first clue they have to go on. This does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. The secret is to present yourself appropriately.

Plan – Do – Review Plan. Prepare the meeting, topic, venue and logistics thoroughly, especially the catering. Check and recheck. Communicate regularly with all those attending from when you book the meeting to the day you run it. Do. Allow enough time on the day to set up and be in control before the customer arrives. Be ready to meet and greet in a professional way. Prepare and practise your presentation: don’t rely on a half-baked selling message you have thought up on the spur of the moment. Review. Few sales people follow up after a meeting, because they are usually too busy with the next sale. But if you take a little time to follow up and ask for a review and feedback, this can make all the difference to the impression you leave with your customer. It can reinforce any decisions or commitment you have gained, and inspire the welcome you receive next time.

Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the customer and the meeting or occasion? Consider your personal grooming – this helps you to appear as a professional and feel like one. You need:

• a good haircut and appropriate styling
• a thorough shave or well-clipped facial hair
• clean, well-laundered clothes
• neat and tidy make-up.

Ask yourself: Is my appearance saying the right things? You can create a positive impact without total conformity or losing your individuality. Yes, to make a good impact you do need to fulfil expectations. In a business setting, wear appropriate business attire. At a formal evening social event, wear appropriate evening attire. But you can still express your individuality within that context.

A confident attitude

The wrong attitude can have a very negative effect. Attitude has a lot to do with confidence, and your level of confidence gives strong signals to your customers. It's not uncommon for a person’s attitude to affect their whole performance adversely in the work environment, even though they may be good at their job.

Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Think about people and situations that have a detrimental effect on you – what can you do to make your attitude more positive in every situation? When it comes to making an impact, body language speaks much louder than words. Use your body language to project an appropriate positive attitude. Stand tall, smile, make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake (if this is appropriate culturally). All of this will help you to project confidence and professionalism, letting both you and the customer feel at ease.

Almost everyone gets a little nervous when meeting a customer for the first time or holding an important meeting. This can lead to nervous behaviours and sweaty palms. Being aware of your nervous behaviours helps you to keep them in check – for example, by controlling a nervous jitter or laugh. Deep breathing exercises can help you to keep your nerves steady.

Give and take

Conversations are based on give and take. Many sales calls are salesperson-focused, with the customer hardly getting a chance to speak. But research has shown that the most effective sales calls are those where the customer does most of the talking. It will help you to plan your call in advance and prepare conversational questions that encourage your customer to talk. The same is true of any business meeting: give other people a chance to contribute, and you may be surprised how much it affects the level of support your ideas receive!

Choose positive words to talk about your products, services and ideas. Use assertive language and expressions that put forward your views but do not exclude the views of others, building even-handed transactions. And remember: don’t tell people your troubles. 50% could not care less and the other 50% think you deserve them!

Needless to say, good manners and polite, attentive, courteous behaviour help to make the right impact. Anything less can ruin your chance to make a good impression. So if you want to be considered a professional – act professionally!

Lorraine Willis is Managing Director of Achiive Ltd – a company that specialises in tailored business training solutions that address motivational issues to bring about behavioural change. For more details, visit www.achiive.co.uk.

 

 

 

In the first of our series on industry leaders and their working lives, On Target talks to Steve Bertuzzi, Business Unit Director at Allergan. A former RAF instructor, Steve is a true high flyer!

1. How would you define your role?

Pretty fast-moving and exciting – and a role that requires tremendous amounts of energy! Business Unit Director is a leadership role that requires a range of business disciplines. As head of the UK medical device business, I am responsible for the revenue and profitability of our operation, and must create strategic sales and marketing plans that get our products into the different market segments of breast reconstruction and augmentation, facial aesthetics and obesity intervention. This couldn’t be achieved without an excellent team of sales and marketing people to execute and implement the plans. Leading and being part of this great team is what I really enjoy doing, especially when we achieve our goals.

In addition, we work within a highly regulated industry, and my teams work closely with our medical affairs and quality assurance teams to ensure that we sell and distribute our products within strict regulatory guidelines. Thus attention to detail and being on top of existing and new rules is also a key responsibility of the job.

2. What happens in your typical working day?

I don’t believe there is such a thing as a typical working day, particularly in a fast-paced business such as ours.

However, my day will start by dealing with high commercial or other priorities that require urgent attention by telephone or e-mail. Then I will meet with each of my Business Managers to gain an update on where they are with their key issues, plans and sales revenues. As a large and dynamic business, we always have major ongoing strategic projects that involve myself and some of my senior colleagues at a national or European level, so there will always be some time during the day to catch up with those projects.

Teamwork and communication are a very important part of our success. We have a responsibility to ensure that we are working to our plans, and I try to spend as much time as possible with the business and marketing managers to keep on top of the plan. Of course, our customers are always a priority, and I will spend several hours per week attending business meetings in the field.

3. How did you get into healthcare sales?

I was originally an RAF instructor responsible for aviation medical training: teaching pilots about how to survive in adverse conditions.

Following my RAF career, I became a business consultant for two years; then an introduction to Tina Young helped me find a new career with Draeger Medical. My first role in healthcare sales was as a Territory Manager, selling anaesthetic devices into operating theatres. This was a challenge that I thrived on: I introduced new consultative sales approaches that I had used as a business consultant, devising innovative strategies to make expensive capital equipment attractive to the NHS on a wider commercial scale. Following my studies in marketing, I became the Marketing Director for Draeger Medical before moving on to Inamed Aesthetics as UK Managing Director.

4. How is the UK market for cosmetic and aesthetic treatments changing?

We’re in a very fast-moving and highly regulated market. The aesthetics market is in double-digit figures, with 25–30,00 augmentations per year in the UK. There is currently an exponential increase in the number of non-surgical facial treatments, while obesity intervention products are another major growth sector. It’s a very strong, highly competitive market that is being concentrated into larger clinics.

‘A Day in the Life’ is sponsored by Kirkham Young, one of the UK’s leading recruitment consultancies for the healthcare industry. To help you on your way to becoming a high flyer, call Kirkham Young on 0870 7873134 or visit their website at www.kirkhamyoung.co.uk.

 

 

NHS Supply Chain appoints new London head AKINTUNDE SAWYERR has been appointed Head of Development for the Capital by NHS Supply Chain. He will be responsible for the operational and developmental modernisation of the London health economy, which exceeds £2bn. London’s 74 Trusts and 31 PCTs represent 40% of NHS expenditure. They are mainly supplied with medical resources by NHS Supply Chain, the DHL company that won a 10-year outsourcing contract for NHS Logistics and NHS PASA in 2006. On Target author Akin Sawyerr joined NHS Supply Chain as Regional Manager on inception of the contract, responsible for driving the uptake of procurement savings. He has 18 years’ experience in healthcare, sales, management and distribution in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The modernisation of NHS supply systems in London faces logistical challenges such as congestion and outdated hospital buildings. Akin comments that these challenges “require the delivery of a lean, efficient solution to deliver a ‘just in time’ health model across hospitals, impacting positively on the savings target while keeping patients at the heart”.	New UK supremo at Cardinal Health CARDINAL HEALTH, a global provider of healthcare safety and productivity solutions, has appointed Mark Pettitt as Country General Manager for the UK and Ireland. This appointment reflects the rapid expansion of Cardinal Health. The company manufactures and distributes medical and surgical products, with a focus on making supply chains more efficient and reducing hospital-acquired infections and medication errors. It recently acquired Viasys Healthcare, a manufacturer of high-technology medical devices. After 21 years with Baxter Healthcare, during which he rose from sales representative to head of the company’s Medication Delivery business, Mark Pettitt joined Basingstoke-based Cardinal Health UK as Vice President of Medical Products for the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries in 2004. “These are exciting times for Cardinal Health,” Mark said. “Building on the high reputation of our Alaris and Pyxis brands alongside a wide portfolio of other medical, laboratory and surgical products, we’re uniquely placed to respond to the changing needs of those on the front line of healthcare in the UK and Ireland.”
The new three at VMC THE VACANCY MANAGEMENT COMPANY has made three new additions to its team, in line with its continued plans for growth and expansion. Karen Hunt joins the company’s recruitment department. Karen has over 10 years’ experience in the healthcare industry in both medical information and market research roles, and has previously worked as a recruitment consultant for Ventiv Health. She will be involved in the recruitment of sales and nurse advisor roles, both permanent and contract-based. Marie Anker joins the project administration team to assist in the running of new projects. Hajnalka Magyar (Hajni) will be helping to co-ordinate recruitment and marketing projects.	Bespak appoints new HR Director BESPAK, A SPECIALIST IN DEVICES for inhaled drug delivery and anaesthesia, has appointed Theresa Hobson-Frohock as Human Resources Director. Theresa joins Bespak following the creation of her own HR consultancy and a successful role as HR Director at Sony UK Ltd. She has held previous business roles in chemicals and biotechnologies companies. Mark Throdahl, Chief Executive at Bespak, commented: “Theresa’s wealth of experience, coupled with her dedication to continue to develop the high-performance culture we have created, made her the ideal candidate.” Theresa said: “I am delighted to be joining Bespak at such an exciting time in the company’s history. I very much look forward to making a positive contribution to the growth of our business through our people strategies.”
North 51 widens its compass HEALTHCARE RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST north 51 has appointed Hakeem Adebiyi as Commercial Director, responsible for new business development and the integrated marketing of three divisions. Hakeem has over 11 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Sales Director at Trinity-Chiesi. He has also held management roles with Innovex and Ashfield. He brings to the role an expertise in sales force effectiveness, managing sales teams and launching products. “I’m extremely excited,” Hakeem said, “as the products that North 51 have to offer the industry are quite unique. Our Total Resourcing, Performance Excellence and e-Business divisions mean that we deliver complete sales force effectiveness solutions for companies. At the moment, most people know us for our first-class recruitment service; it is my job to ensure that we make an impact with our other first-class service offerings.” Paul Dermody, Joint MD of north 51, said: “We are extremely pleased that north 51 has been able to secure the services of such a high-calibre Commercial Director. Hakeem has such a breath of experience and is so enthusiastic and dynamic, he will provide great service and support to all our client companies.”	Xograph creates new sales role UK MEDICAL IMAGING company Xograph Healthcare has appointed Paul Andrews in a new role as Business Development Manager to spearhead the company’s expansion. Xograph is the leading supplier of direct digital radiography solutions in the UK. Paul will develop new opportunities and strategically expand Xograph’s product portfolio, as well as leading the team of regional Territory Managers. Paul was previously Sales & Marketing Director for Spacelabs Healthcare, based in Hertford. His career has included the sales strategy and service management of healthcare products in areas such as diagnostic systems, anaesthesia ventilators and patient monitoring systems. Peter Staff, Managing Director of Xograph Healthcare, said: “Paul Andrews is a valuable addition to the team. His experience and vision will greatly assist in building on Xograph’s enviable reputation for innovative products and high-quality after-sales support.”
STAR Medical enter the Dragon – and win HEALTHCARE RECRUITMENT COMPANY STAR Medical provided the winning team in the Dragon Boat Race in Bath, raising funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust. The STAR Medical team overcame severe weather conditions to win the race and raise over £750 in sponsorship. They send a big ‘Thank you’ to all those who sponsored them and came to support them on the day! The Anthony Nolan Trust supports research and treatment to combat leukaemia.	Prosurgics appoints Paul Moraviec as CEO UK SURGICAL ROBOTICS company Prosurgics has appointed Paul Moraviec as CEO. Paul Moraviec joins Prosurgics from Abbott Laboratories, where he was Vice President, International Commercial Operations for the Abbott Diabetes Care Division. Prior to that he was CEO of IIT Ltd, a UK start-up that commercialised an innovative glucose monitoring technology. Based at High Wycombe, Prosurgics is the world’s leading supplier of image-guided surgical robots. Kevin D’Silva, Chairman of Prosurgics, said: “Paul has an outstanding track record within the global medical device market. His ability to drive businesses into leading competitive positions in the medical device industry is unquestionable.” Paul said: “I am excited to be joining Prosurgics at this pivotal stage in its development. It is clear that surgical robots are rapidly becoming accepted in the operating room by surgeons. Prosurgics is extremely well placed to become one of leading players in what is widely expected to be the ‘next big wave’ in medical devices.”

 

 

The increasing priority of infection control for the NHS is changing the surgery market. Lindsay Webber of Single Use Surgical examines the reasons for the growing importance of single-use instruments in this demanding sector.

An average of 7–10% of hospitalised patients, and as many as 30% of critically ill patients, acquire an infection while in hospital in the UK. Cross-infections are mostly transmitted during medical procedures, when an external agent touches or penetrates the body. Infections developed during surgery occur because of a lack of cleanliness of the medical devices, equipment or personnel in contact with the patient.

In the blood

An initial strategy for infection control in theatres is to ensure that all medical materials and staff are clean enough to prevent transmission of microbes. This can be achieved by keeping rigorously to guidelines. However, hard-to-clean instruments (such as fine lumen cannulae) cannot be guaranteed 100% clean even after leading sterilisation techniques have been used.

A second step towards total cleanliness is to replace hard-to-clean devices with disposables. For this to be possible, single-use devices need to perform at least as well as traditional ones. For example, Single Use Surgical has been asked to develop devices for a critical area of surgical intervention: fine lumen suction tubes. Having this alternative enables surgeons to ensure their fine suctions will not transmit any infections.

Devices that have features such as acute angles, long or narrow lumens and specialist surface coatings are known to be hard to clean – and this has not been helped by the discovery that abnormal proteins associated with prion diseases such as vCJD are very resistant to conventional methods of decontamination.

Just one time

With these issues in mind, the DH has issued a risk assessment for the transmission of vCJD.

This document looks at a number of key factors associated with cross-contamination and concludes that “Surgical transmission of vCJD cannot be ruled out as a risk to public health.” This has led clinical professionals to look elsewhere for solutions to the problem.

It can be expected that the healthcare industry will generate a new wave of decontamination methods to destroy prions on instruments – for example, gas plasma sterilisation. However, until these products have been fully evaluated, the existing guidelines should be followed. The only guaranteed solution to this problem is changing high-risk instruments to single-use devices.

The DH has issued a risk assessment for the transmission of vCJD. This document looks at a number of key factors associated with cross-contamination and concludes that “Surgical transmission of vCJD cannot be ruled out as a risk to public health.”

Single Use Surgical is an example of a company that has responded to the increasing demand for single-use products. It is continually expanding its range of fine lumen suctions. With more than 50 different instruments in its product range, Single Use Surgical supplies devices to over 300 major operating centres. The majority of neuro and many ENT, max-fax, gynae and ophthalmic departments have changed to single-use instruments in order to defeat contamination and increase patient safety. The future of hard-to-clean surgical instruments appears to be in single-use devices.

Lindsay Webber is Marketing Manager of Single Use Surgical Ltd. For more information, please contact Single Use Surgical on 01226 732 333 or visit www.susl.co.uk.

 

 

UK company launches bionic hand SCOTTISH COMPANY TOUCH BIONICS has launched the world’s first commercially available bionic hand. The Livingston-based company’s i-LIMB Hand prosthesis is now available worldwide, and has been successfully fitted to a significant number of patients in Europe and the USA. Invented by Scottish NHS worker David Gow, the i-LIMB Hand looks and acts like a real human hand. The thumb and fingers can move and grip individually under the patient’s control. The hand has a thin ‘skin’ of semi-transparent material. “I was amazed by how quickly I could learn to do things with the i-LIMB Hand,” said Donald McKillop of Kilmarnock, Scotland, one of the first patients to be fitted with the bionic hand. “It’s truly incredible to see the fingers moving and gripping around objects that I haven’t been able to pick up before.” Stuart Mead, CEO of Touch Bionics, said: “We are delighted to be the company that moves bionic hand technology from the research and development phase into the real world, and to lead a generational advance in bionics and patient care.” For more information, visit www.touchbionics.com.	NMT Medical mends broken hearts NMT MEDICAL has launched the world’s first bioabsorbable septal repair implant in Europe. The BioSTAR® implant is a unique biomaterial drug and device combination that has received CE Mark approval in Europe, where it has recently been implanted in several patients. John E. Ahern, NMT’s President and CEO, said: “BioSTAR is the first in a new generation of biological implant devices that NMT is developing for treatment of septal heart defects. Based on market research, there is a potential for more than 250,000 annual procedures in Europe and Canada for the stroke and transient ischemic attack indications. “As a recognised technology innovator with the first and only bioabsorbable implant available for commercial use, NMT is well-positioned to secure the market leadership position.” BioSTAR is designed to close atrial level defects using the patient’s natural healing response. The average procedure time to close a septal defect with BioSTAR is approximately 40 minutes. 90–95% of the implant is expected to be absorbed into the body over time. NMT Medical designs, manufactures and markets proprietary implant technologies that allow cardiologists to treat structural heart disease through minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures. For more information, visit www.nmtmedical.com.
Kimal launches new K Flow™catheters KIMAL PLC, A PROVIDER OF HEALTHCARE solutions to the UK and the global healthcare market, has launched a new range of access catheters. The new K Flow range covers virtually all clinical needs in the access arena. Key features include high flow rates, specially-designed hubs and lack of kinking when used, all of which offer greater patient comfort and ease of use. Medical professionals from around the world attended K Flow’s international launch in the West Midlands. Kimal’s Managing Director, Alan Press, said: “We are excited to introduce these new access catheters to the marketplace. Not only am I particularly pleased with the attendance of so many international delegates, I am very impressed that we have the support of key clinical specialists from hospitals here in the UK, including Portsmouth, Chichester and Leicester. “The market has been waiting for a long time for an innovative and comprehensive range of access catheters to be introduced. K Flow is that range, and we look forward to the new product suite being enthusiastically received by clinicians, specialists and the wider international healthcare community over the coming weeks and months.” For more information, visit www.kimal.co.uk.
Fold up your stents A DECLINE OF $1B in the US drug-eluting cardiac stent market has cast doubt over the future of the fastestselling medical device in modern times. Four years after the introduction of drugcoated stents, questions about their safety and effectiveness have triggered a steep decline in sales. Industry analysts expect the US drug-eluting stent market to shrink from $2.9 billion last year to about $2 billion this year. The two companies that dominate the cardiac stent market have been severely affected. Johnson & Johnson is cutting up to 4,800 jobs worldwide, partly due to a decline in sales of its Cypher stent. Boston Scientific has seen its stock value fall to a five-year low after sales of its Taxus stent fell by 32% last quarter. The ability of drug-coated stents to reduce scarring after heart surgery has led to their being implanted in some six million people over the past four years. However, in 2006 research indicated that drug-coated stents slightly increase the risk of lethal blood clots forming months or years after implantation. The impact on the market has been serious, and could affect companies with next-generation drug-coated stents that are just reaching European markets – such as Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and St. Jude Medical. However, industry analysts anticipate that new drug-eluting stent models – metal-mesh tubes that unfold inside coronary arteries – will lead to a revival in the device’s fortunes. Meanwhile, the cardiac stent has entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: blues legend Bo Diddley is a new recipient of the tiny plectrum-like device.	Smith & Nephew knee live and kicking SMITH & NEPHEW’S ORTHOPAEDIC RECONSTRUCTION has launched an innovative knee implant that allows patients to keep their own cruciate ligaments. The Journey Deuce Bi-Compartmental Knee System is a new orthopaedic solution that offers many patients receiving a total knee replacement a more minimally invasive, bone- and ligament-preserving alternative. The Journey Deuce Knee is being launched in the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe. The implant is called the ‘Deuce’ because it replaces only the two areas of the knee most commonly affected by osteoarthritis, while keeping the third area (including the cruciate ligaments) intact. “With the retention of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, the Journey Deuce knee system addresses an unmet need in the market for the active, informed patient who may be concerned about potential reduced knee function and mobility with a total knee,” said Joseph DeVivo, President, Smith & Nephew Orthopaedic Reconstruction. The Journey Deuce Knee System is part of a family of next-generation implants from Smith & Nephew that restore more natural motion, preserving bone and ligaments or replacing them with other anatomical components. For more information, visit www.smith-nephew.com.
Healthcare provider meets e-health vendor UK telehealth company Docobo has formed a partnership with healthcare service provider RSLSteeper to provide a new integrated telehealth solution for patients with long-term conditions. RSLSteeper, a supplier of prosthetic and orthotic patient care services in the UK, has teamed up with Docobo to provide clients with doc@HOME, an integrated telehealth solution for the remote management of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart failure. The versatile system helps patients to manage long-term conditions at home. The Docobo HealthHUB portable home monitor allows patients to record vital signs, symptoms and other data. This information is transferred to the doc@HOME clinical database, which can be accessed by clinicians. Andrew Thornton, Managing Director of RSLSteeper, said: “We chose doc@HOME because it has several benefits, not least the fact that it has been developed and tested in the UK. The price of the unit is also very attractive. As well as its being low-cost, there are no hidden extras.” According to RSLSteeper, the versatility of Doc@HOME enhances the management of patients with chronic diseases and short- or long-term monitoring needs, as well as bringing substantial cost reductions. For more information, visit www.docobo.co.uk.

 

 

The Other Side 13:

Interview with an Orthopaedic Supplies Manager

Darrel Gregory is Purchasing & Supplies Manager at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust, Stanmore, Middlesex. On Target talked to him about purchasing for this rapidly changing area of NHS healthcare.

Where orthopaedic devices are concerned, what factors influence your purchasing decisions?

Clinical need first and foremost, then price. However, that does not mean we will always just accept the cheapest option. Both factors need to be weighed up.

What aspects of medical device sales do you find helpful? What aspects do you find unhelpful?

In general, sales reps in the outside world can be a bit intimidating. But when it comes to medical devices, it is usually different. Most are from a clinical background, and at the end of the day it’s the patient who matters, not necessarily their profits – that’s what they tell me anyway! The constant barrage of calls and e-mails from medical device companies wanting appointments is very unhelpful. They should now be contacting the Purchasing Hubs to try and sell their products. That way we as Trust Purchasing Managers can benefit from even greater savings.

Is there anything in particular that sales professionals could do to meet your needs more effectively?

Provide samples for trialling free of charge (FOC) – most do, but there are still some out there that insist on payments, especially if they do not win a contract. Our policy is, if a company approaches us then we expect the trial FOC. However, if we approach them, we will expect to pay for a trial (unless we can get away with it!)

How are current changes in hospital practice affecting what you purchase and how you purchase it?

The quantity of line items ordered last FY has increased by about 10%; this is due to two new Operating Theatres and a day care centre opening. The way we purchase is changing also, with e-procurement and more purchases being made by Government Procurement Cards. We have just implemented this for small orders under £100, emergency orders and orders from online companies.

What does the future hold for orthopaedic treatment?

Orthopaedic treatment is changing all the time, with the development of new techniques and equipment . The RNOH is acknowledged as a leading centre of excellence, offering a unique range of neuro-musc uloskeletal services from the most acute spinal injury or complex bone tumour to orthopaedic medicine and specialist rehabilitation for back pain sufferers.

 

 

DH hires and fires healthcare providers in the North-West INDEPENDENT HEALTHCARE PROVIDER Capio has been awarded a major contract to deliver NHS procedures in Cumbria and Lancashire. However, plans for healthcare provider Atos Healthcare to operate NHS diagnostic services in the North-West of England have been abandoned. NHS patients in Cumbria and Lancashire will benefit from reduced waiting times and more choice, according to the DH, which has approved a new partnership with Capio to deliver health services in the North-West. Around 11,000 NHS procedures a year, including general surgery and orthopaedics, will be delivered locally through the partnership. “This new partnership will be good news for patients in Cumbria and Lancashire,” said Ben Bradshaw, Health Services Minister. “Patients will begin to benefit from additional high-quality services, with the assurance that treatment will remain free at the point of use.” He added: “We are committed to bringing independent sector providers into the NHS where they meet a need for capacity, meet the local needs of patients and offer value for money.” Alongside this, the DH also announced that planned diagnostic services to be operated by Atos Healthcare in the North-West will now not proceed. According to the DH, Atos Healthcare was unable to establish services within the agreed timescale. These services will be provided by local trusts and by other independent sector organisations.	UK gets world leading orthopaedic implant facility ORTHOPAEDIC IMPLANT and instrument manufacturing specialist JRI is set to launch a new £6 million world-leading facility in Sheffield. The company will unveil a major UK investment when the facility is opened by international cricketer Darren Gough later this month. At the launch, attendees from the clinical, business and academic world will tour the Sheffield manufacturing facility and learn about the Furlong HAC Total Hip Replacement – the world’s most successful total hip replacement. Brian Jones, Managing Director of JRI, said: “The launch of our new manufacturing base in Sheffield is an exciting development for all of us at JRI, with the hope to bring further prosperity and jobs to the city and the UK.” Joint Replacement Instrumentation Ltd (JRI) was founded in 1969 by Mr Ronald Furlong, FRCS. Following his death in 2002 and that of his widow Eileen in 2003, their estate, including ownership of JRI, was bequeathed to the Furlong Research Foundation, a registered charity that supports education and research in orthopaedics. Based in London, JRI Ltd offers a rapid delivery service to customers worldwide. The JRI instrument and prosthetic loan system allows new customers to become familiar with any surgical procedure at low cost. JRI’s manufacturing facility in Sheffield combines the expertise of the British steel industry with cutting-edge computerised CNC machinery and measuring technology.
Covidien leaves Tyco to go it alone GLOBAL MEDTECH LEADER Tyco Healthcare has rebranded itself as Covidien and split off from its parent company, Tyco International. “This is an exciting day for our company, our customers, our employees and our shareholders,” said Richard J. Meelia, President and CEO of the new independent healthcare products company. “As an independent $9.6 billion company, we expect to drive accelerated growth through strategic initiatives that focus exclusively on healthcare and through our increased flexibility to invest in innovation.” Covidien manufactures and distributes a wide range of products including surgical devices, energy-based devices, respiratory and monitoring solutions, patient care and safety products, imaging solutions and medical supplies. The company employs more than 43,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in over 130 countries. Meelia concluded: “Our goal is to establish our position as the world’s leading healthcare products company and, as Covidien, we have the people, the products and the vision to succeed.”
New measures to fight infection THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH has announced £50 million of extra NHS funding to help combat healthcare associated infections (HCAIs). The existing Infection Improvement Teams will double in size, so that any Trust that is not on course to meet the 2008 MRSA target or has a significant number of patients with C.difficile will have access to a team of experts. Each SHA Director of Nursing will receive £5 million to help them work with PCTs, making sure that front-line clinicians adopt effective measures to fight HCAIs. Chief Nursing Officer Christine Beasley said: “I know from my visits to the NHS that some frontline clinicians have trouble accessing modern equipment. This announcement will help frontline NHS staff make a real difference to infection rates by giving them the power to make the changes they know will help patients.” Since last February, the DH’s Improvement Teams have helped around 70 NHS Trusts to bring down their infection rates. The Improvement Teams are groups of specialists such as doctors, nurses, microbiologists, infection control practitioners and service improvement experts. The DH has created a new committee to advise the Government on HCAIs and antimicrobial resistance. Made up of leading healthcare professionals and scientists, the committee will seek long-term measures to tackle both problems and develop an integrated strategy.	Surrey trust plans hospital takeover A second takeover of an NHS hospital by a foundation trust has been proposed as health services attempt to resolve service and clinical problems in Surrey. Under the new proposals, Frimley Park, a top-rated NHS foundation trust, would acquire Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals – and perhaps also the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, creating one hospital organisation for the treatment of more than 1m patients. The first such acquisition was Heart of England’s takeover of the financially failing Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham. However, Ashford and St Peter’s are currently running a surplus after years of financial difficulty. Surrey PCT said the strategy is “clearly being driven by clinical factors rather than financial ones”. The location of four hospitals close together and the need to concentrate specialist services, including cardiac and vascular surgery, means that “radical change is needed for services to remain sustainable, both clinically and financially,” the PCT argued. Frimley Park and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals said there was now “strong support from senior local clinicians for, over time, moving towards one organisation running all the hospitals within West Surrey” – thus forming one of the largest NHS organisations outside the major cities.
Surgeon becomes new Health Minister A PRACTISING SURGEON will conduct the NHS Next Stage review to advise on how to meet the challenges of delivering healthcare over the next decade. Lord Ara Darzi, now Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, has been promoted from his previous role as National Advisor on surgery. In a report published in April, he recommended that 80% of operations should be carried out on patients in their local area, with the remaining complex cases undertaken at specialist centres. The NHS Next Stage review will involve patients, doctors, nurses and other practitioners. It aims to establish a blueprint for the next decade of the NHS that is based on patient control, choice and local accountability, ensuring that services are responsive to patients and local communities. Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: “Rising expectations and new technology mean that the time is now right to look ahead to the next decade. What was right for the last decade – top-down targets and important but sometimes difficult reforms – will not be right for the next, where more local decision-making and staff empowerment need to drive the NHS.” Lord Darzi is internationally respected for his work in minimally-invasive surgery and the development and use of technologies such as surgical robots and image-guided surgery.