Member Article

Vernacare awards technical services contract to JD McGeown Ltd

Medical products supplier Vernacare has appointed leading electrical and mechanical contractor JD McGeown Ltd as its technical services partner for Northern Ireland.

JD McGeown’s specialist engineers will install, commission, maintain and service Vernacare’s fleet of Vortex disposal units, which provide Northern Ireland’s hospitals with a hygienic and time-saving system of human waste disposal.

Belfast-headquartered JD McGeown has recently installed and commissioned Vortex disposal systems at Daisy Hill Hospital, part of Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

The Vortex units provide a fast and cost effective method of disposing of Vernacare’s single-use bedpans, urinals, washbowls and other containers, which are made from renewable natural fibre. After use by patients, these containers are immediately placed in the Vortex disposal units, where they are broken down into a fine, watery slurry that flows freely through the drains.

This single-use system is used throughout the UK and across the globe to achieve the highest standards of infection prevention and environmental performance.

JD McGeown’s healthcare engineering team has completed intensive training with Vernacare to become certified and assured suppliers. This has qualified the team in all aspects of Vortex technical care - from installation through to fault diagnosis, breakdown repair and servicing.

As approved electrical contractors to the majority of Northern Ireland’s health trusts, JD McGeown’s engineers have a daily presence in local hospitals and can respond rapidly in the event of any technical problems or to conduct servicing and proactive maintenance. The company operates a 24/7 help desk and provides region-wide rapid response engineering support to any call-out request.

JD McGeown stocks the complete Vernacare product range and spare parts at its Belfast headquarters and has further offices in Londonderry and Dublin.

Bill McKnight, Vernacare’s UK & International Service Manager, said: “JD McGeown is Northern Ireland’s leading electrical and mechanical engineering contractor in the healthcare sector. The company’s skills and professionalism are hugely impressive and they can provide our Northern Ireland customers with fast response local service of the highest standard and quality.”

Glenn Horner, Contracts Manager for JD McGeown, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Vernacare, whose Vortex systems are well engineered and very robust to cope with constant use on busy wards. Our healthcare engineering team has passed Verncare’s intensive training course and we are now certified to provide full technical support to Northern Ireland’s hospitals to ensure that these critical disposal units operate at peak performance.”

Vernacare invented the single-use method of human waste disposal more than 50 years ago and it is used by 96% of all NHS Trusts and by hospitals in 48 countries. The Vernacare system has been proven to increase patient and healthcare worker safety by contributing to the reduction in Clostridium difficile infections by as much as 56%, thus breaking the chain of infection. As part of a portfolio of infection control and human waste management measures, it contributes to saving nurse time and improving working conditions, while helping increasing patient comfort and dignity.

Further information: www.vernacare.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Switch2 Energy Ltd .