Established in 1961, originally under the name Vernon & Co, Vernacare first launched a small range of disposable medical products in 1964, including the male urinal and bedpan. Utilising overissued newspaper, the company says this type of product was an industry first – in both infection prevention standards, and what would transpire to be a big step in sustainable production.
Vernacare says that in the intervening six decades it has been ‘at the forefront of supporting patient care, providing reliable, high-quality products that prioritise dignity and hygiene’. It said: “Our pioneering efforts in single-use medical pulp have not only contributed to the advance of infection prevention in hospitals, but have also helped make daily toileting and bathing safer and easier for millions of patients worldwide.”
The system of using single-use medical pulp in combination with a hospital macerator is designed to reduce the risk of infection by ensuring that each patient has a clean, disposable receptacle for toileting or bathing. Once used, the medical pulp is hygienically and efficiently disposed of in the macerator, minimising potential cross-contamination risk, and maintaining a safe and sanitary environment in healthcare settings.
Vernacare’s full range of medical pulp includes male and female urinals, disposable washbowls, bedpans, kidney bowls, and more, all made from 100% recycled cellulose-based fibres which are fully biodegradable. In support of these products as a Medical Device, Vernacare achieved the ISO 13485:2016 Quality Management Systems certification – a globally accepted framework to support quality for medical devices – in January this year.
At its 55,000 ft2 facility in Bolton, the pulp manufacturing process has significantly grown, and the business now employs over 100 people from the local area working within the production facility, the on-site testing process, and in the maintenance tool room, where the team hand makes the pulp moulds in house. As a further commitment to Vernacare’s support for the local community, the overissued newspaper and cardboard is locally sourced from another Bolton supplier.
Vernacare CEO, Alex Hodges, said: “We are incredibly proud to be celebrating 60 years of medical pulp manufacture. Even today, this product retains an incredibly important role in the prevention of infections in hospitals, and was ahead of its time with its sustainability credentials. The manufacturing process may have modernised and expanded over the years, but one thing remains the same – a high quality, sustainable product designed to prevent infections.”