Continuous Improvement Depends on Innovation

14 Feb 2022

The NHS is always looking at ways to implement innovation and develop a long-term plan to improve cost-savings to achieve the ambitions set out in the Mandate. The NHS plans to ramp up the pace and scale of change, and deliver better outcomes for patients and, innovation is a critical part of this.

There are currently lots of innovations and improvements that deliver benefits to the NHS and our fire safety product is one of them. Our innovative, multi-risk P50 composite fire extinguishers were recently adopted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) in London. Our products have enabled an impressive business case for GSTT with a projected 45% inventory reduction and 40% cost saving! Cost savings are especially important during this current crisis and we are extremely pleased that we are able to help achieve these outcomes for this prestigious NHS Trust.

Fire safety training is an essential requirement for the NHS to protect staff, patients, visitors, and service users. It is also a legal obligation. Our P50 composite fire extinguishers can be serviced by a member of your own team whereby we provide full accredited training, remotely or in person, and access to our bespoke online Extinguisher Management System (EMS). This system stores all the information about your extinguishers including, building, location, serial number, as well as the size and type of extinguisher. The EMS software will provide a fully secure audit system for all extinguishers on site and will also send out reminders to designated individuals when inspections are due. All inspection results are then stored and protected with the most advanced security protocols. This is especially beneficial to the NHS as our products eliminate the need for external contractors who would need access to the hospital to service their steel extinguishers, negating social distancing issues, and therefore, saving substantial time and costs!

In 2011/12, there were approximately 1,500 fires recorded on NHS premises (Health and Social Care Information Centre). These caused serious disruption to patient care and services, people were put at risk and it also resulted in large financial costs. Our composite P50 fire extinguishers will help in reducing this financial cost, should a fire break out. Our composite foam extinguisher is 3x more effective in putting out a fire than a foam steel extinguisher. This means that our P50 composite fire extinguishers are safer and more effective in tackling fires. Moreover, our composite P50 fire extinguishers meet the highest legal and safety standards. They are fully compliant with British standards, EN3, BSI and are CE marked.  

Steel fire extinguishers come in different shapes, sizes, and colours. Each type of fire extinguisher is specifically designed to tackle a certain type of fire. However, our multi-risk composite foam fire extinguisher can be used on Class A (flammable solids), Class B (flammable liquids) and electrical fires, preventing the confusion of choosing between different types of extinguishers, should they need to be used. This is particularly important in a hospital setting where an untrained person may need to use the extinguisher, should a fire break out. This multi-risk capability also means that fewer units are required, therefore taking up less space in busy hospital corridors.

Moreover, climate change has serious implications for our health; this is already playing out in real time. The NHS plans to reach a net zero environmental sustainability target and we are pleased to have been able to help Guy’s and St Thomas’ work towards this with our state-of-the-art composite fire extinguishers. We were one of the first to innovate the fire extinguisher and we have eliminated the five-yearly waste of steel extinguishers. With a 20-year guarantee, our products are longer lasting and highly durable. We use low energy and clean manufacturing processes, guaranteeing environmental peace of mind!

During the last year we have been successful in installing P50’s across more than 7 NHS Trusts, including Chelsea Westminster NHS Trust, East London NHS Trust, Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Barking, Havering & Redbridge NHS Trust, Dorset NHS Trust, Kent & Medway NHS Trust, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NFT and King’s College Hospital NHS Trust! Installing P50’s across these trusts will save them more than £1 Million (57%) due to an average 46% reduction in extinguisher assets and the cancelling out of ongoing service contracts.