We are the Category Tower Service Provider for NHS Supply Chain: Rehabilitation, Disabled Services, Women’s Health and Associated Consumables.
We manage 18 frameworks in three broad areas: continence, urology and stoma care; rehabilitation and disabled services; and women’s health.
At the core of all our activity is the patient experience.
Our holistic approach sees our procurement and clinical teams work in partnership to achieve quality results, and recognise the differences and variables between:
- People using the products (eg health care professionals, carers, individuals)
- The environment these products are used in (eg hospital, care home, primary care centre, an individual’s own home)
- Desired outcome of using the product(s) (eg treatment, maintenance, comfort).
Working with external stakeholders, challenging practice, and following national guidance and best practice guidelines, we aim to ensure quality of products, maintain well managed product ranges, optimise cost effectiveness, and ensure processes are transparent.
Stoma Care and Accessories
Stoma Care and Accessories are used after surgical procedures including colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy.
The products include a wound manager which is used after operations to drain off any discharge and avoid infection of the wound where the surgery has been carried out.
Other products include bags/pouches that collect waste from a surgically diverted biological system and accessories which support them. These include skin protection and care products, securing devices, irrigation and drainage accessories.
Find out moreUrology, Bowel and Faecal Management
Urology and bowel management is the study, diagnosis, treatment and management of the urinary tract in women, the genitourinary tract in men, and bowels, which cause lack of control over urinary and bowel functions.
We offer a wide range of products that aid the treatment and management of adults and children impacted by bladder or bowel dysfunction. They improve patient outcomes and provide continuity of care as the products can support patients in both hospital and home environments.
The types of products we provide include, but are not limited to, catheters and associated products, urine drainage bags and collection devices, urine meters, bowel management systems, irrigation sets and personal hygiene products. These products support care for short-to-medium or long-term use. They are used widely throughout hospitals, from theatres to wards, and home environments, including care homes.
Find out moreDisposable and Washable Continence Care and Associated Products
These products are designed to help people with incontinence conditions, which can have a big impact on their quality of life.
These include a range of disposable and washable continence products in a range of sizes and absorbencies including:
- adult pull-up pants, all-in-ones, belt products, shaped pads
- children’s nappies and pull-ons
- disposable bed and chair protection
- washable pants and underpads
- fixation pants to hold a disposable shaped pad firmly in place
- disposable underpads, made from either recycled cellulose or virgin fluff
Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
This includes a wide range of physiotherapy and occupational therapy products to support the treatment, management and rehabilitation of patients and provide continuity of care from hospital to home.
Products are used by patients with short-term treatment of reversable conditions or long-term chronic patients who require a personalised physiotherapy plan to help maintain independence and mobility.
Product areas include:
- Acupuncture
- Electrotherapy and ultrasound therapy
- General therapy and exercise (including latex-free resistance bands)
- Temperature therapy
- Massage therapy
- Posture and balance
- Physiotherapy tapes, strapping and associated products.
Orthotic Services and Associated Consumables
This covers products which support, immobilise, or manipulate an area of a patient using braces and supports. These include wrist supports, walker boots, cervical collars, insoles or knee immobilisers.
Products are commonly used in Accident and Emergency and hospital wards, but particularly in rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy, orthotics, podiatry, orthopaedic, and paediatric departments.
Find out moreVascular Therapy and Associated Products
Vascular therapy products reduce the risk of patients developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) post-surgery, manage venous and lymphatic conditions, and treat leg ulcers and lymphoedema.
This includes anti-embolism stockings, intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) garments, graduated compression hosiery, and leg ulcer kits.
The products are used in theatres, post-surgery wards, wards, patient’s homes, and in the community.
Find out morePowered and Non-Powered Wheelchairs, Specialist Seating and Associated Repairs and Managed Services
These products include powered and non-powered wheelchairs and specialist seating.
They are used by wheelchair centres, accident and emergency departments, physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments and care homes.
Find out morePressure Area Care and Patient Handling
These products are used to relieve pressure points on patients and to help with the safe and comfortable moving of them, while helping to prevent injuries to clinical staff as they carry out patient handling.
They include a wide range and sizes of beds, mattresses, hoists and slings for lifting patients, slide sheets, cushions and pressure relieving chairs, and prevention and supporting aids such as bootee ankle-length foot coverings.
Options are also available to have rental equipment that has been decontaminated so it is ready to use again.
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Aids for Daily Living including Walking Aids
Daily Living Aids products include bathing, toileting, home and kitchen aids, commodes, and shower chairs.
Walking aid products include crutches, walking frames, walking sticks and walkers.
They are widely used in the community, including in people’s homes, but also in hospitals.
Find out moreArtificial Limb Components and Associated Products
An artificial limb aims to restore the normal functions of a missing body part, which could be the result of trauma, disease or a congenital condition.
Products include conventional limbs, elbows, feet and ankles, hands, hips, knees and wrists.
The associated products include liners, prosthetics, silicone cosmesis, structural components and coverings for upper and lower limbs.
Find out moreElectronic Assistive Technology Products and Services
These products are prescribed to the most severely disabled patients to help them live independently and are supplied via specialist regional disability centres. They assist where people find using standard controls, such as a television remote control or a keyboard, difficult due to a physical impairment. The products enable users to live more independently at home.
Also available on this framework are electronic devices which lone workers can use to call for support if they fear for their safety.
Find out moreImmobilisation and Associated Products
Products on this framework include rolls and slabs of plaster of paris, padded sling supports, casting tape, skin traction kits, synthetic acute splint systems, undercast padding, stockinettes and eco-friendly castings.
Find out moreExternal Breast Prostheses, Bras and Associated Consumables
A full range of products is available for women who have had breast cancer, including whole, partial, soft form and leisure breast prostheses, post-operative encapsulation and compression style bras.
Accessories are also available on this framework such as replacement adhesive backing, prostheses covers, additional bra straps, shoulder pads and drainage pouch holders and prostheses cleansers.
Whole breast form prostheses are used outside of the breast, inside a pocketed bra or adhered directly to the surface of the skin. Made predominantly from silicone, they may be formed from an outer polyurethane layer filled with silicone gel or a solid or foam silicone. It is used to mimic a whole breast when it has been surgically removed.
Partial breast form prostheses, enhancers, overlays and nipples are used outside of the breast. Partial breast prostheses are made from a polyurethane layer filled with silicone gel. They are worn inside a pocketed bra to provide symmetry to a breast post-surgery when only a portion of tissue has been removed.
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Infant Feeding and Associated Accessories
This framework provides a wide range of products to support parents and NHS staff with infant feeding from birth right through to infancy.
This includes infant milks, infant food, feeding bottles, teats and breast pumps.
The products are used in children’s wards and hospitals, maternity units, neonatal wards, and speech therapy departments.
Find out moreMaternity, Obstetrics and Gynaecological Products
This framework includes products in three areas:
Gynaecological products – including various disposal single use instruments such as vaginal speculums, cervical cell collection brushes, spatulas and applicators, coil removers, long handled scissors, sponge holders, dilators, amniotic hooks, uterine manipulator, catheters and specimen cups.
This area also includes:
- assisted reproduction products such as Oocyte aspiration filter sets, embryo transfer catheter sets and ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm Injection) holding pipettes.
- Rehabilitation devices to aid pelvic floor muscles and to treat vaginismus, vulval disease and pelvic pain.
- Collection set for termination of pregnancy
- modesty blankets
- vacuum assisted devices for both vaginal and caesarean deliveries
- fluid collection canisters
- Perineal massage gel
- vaginal moisturiser
- gynaecological tests for bacterial vaginosis and the detection of amniotic fluid.
Obstetric products and associated accessories – umbilical clamps, umbilical catheters, foetal blood sampling kits, silver nitrate caustic pencils, circumcision devices, midwifery / district nurse bags.
Maternity products and associated accessories – a wide range of products used in maternity wards including birth pools and associated consumables, birthing balls, tape measure, foetal dopplers, baby changing mats and nursing cushions.
Find out moreSexual Health and Associated Products
A full range of sexual health and contraception products is available to help prevent sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy.
Products available include condoms, sterile lubricants, IUDs (intrauterine devices), teaching aids, treatments for genital warts, diaphragms, implant kits and coil accessories.
The products are predominantly used by GUM clinics (genitourinary medicine), sexual health clinics, GP surgeries and neonatal and maternity departments in NHS acute trusts.
Find out moreSurgical Implants for Men’s and Women’s Health
These products are body, facial and penile implants used in trauma and reconstruction surgery.
They include breast, calf, chin, gluteal, malar, nasal, pectorals, penile, testicular and thoracic implants, along with breast sizers and tissue expanders.
Find out moreWigs and Accessories
These products are bespoke or off the peg wigs that are suitable for use by cancer or alopecia patients. The product range includes acrylic partial pieces, customised human hair full wigs and partial pieces, full acrylic wigs and processed human hair wigs.
This framework also supplies adhesive fixing tape and headwear accessories, such as headscarves, bandanas, hats and caps.
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