bhta bulletin july 2014

REPRESENTING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTHCAREREPRESENTING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE

ISSUE 39 - JULY 2014

The Bulletin

READ MORE INSIDE…BHTA MANIFESTO… TSI CONFERENCE… SUPPORTING RETAILERS

Changing Behaviour

BHTA Bulletin July 2014.indd 1 18/07/2014 11:00

British Healthcare Trades Association, Suite 4.06, New Loom House, Back Church Lane, London E1 1LU. Tel: 020 7702 2141 Fax: 020 7680 4048 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bhta.com

Photo credits: Cover pencils pic – sezeryadigar @ www.istockphoto.com, page 3 Westminster – Tombaky @ www.fotolia.com, page 5 Scottish Parliament – Roger Pilkington @ www.fotolia.com, page 12 barcode – scanrail @ www.istockphoto.com

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DG DIARY

Change and Challenges….The coalition government is pushing through significant changes that affect all our businesses.The Health and Social Care Act is already furthering the expansion

of personal budgets, use of tariffs and greater private sector involvement in providing services.

The Care Bill will give local authorities the responsibility to point people to an appropriate qualified provider - the BHTA Code of Practice will be very important here.

The Consumer Rights Bill brings together all previous consumer rights legislation and introduces some very important changes – see Westminster Watch in this Bulletin.

Health and Social Care is finally being integrated.

The direction of travel, aimed at empowering individuals, is clear. At the same time, we are all aware of the pressure on budgets and growing demands on health and care services.

The BHTA has published a “Manifesto for healthcare and assistive technology”. As all the political parties prepare their manifestos, they are all looking to find ways of improving services (for their potential voters), obtaining better value and keeping costs under control, as well as helping to achieve economic growth.

Our manifesto is being distributed to Ministers, civil servants, parliamentarians and many others in order to highlight the vital role that our sector plays in helping governments of any composition to address these issues.

Our businesses can help to ensure that people have better, wider and more appropriate choices that can improve their quality of life and achieve significantly greater value and cost efficiency. In particular, we know that we can help to keep people out of hospital and that we can shorten hospital stays.

There are important cost savings involved.

We want future governments to take a longer term view of ‘spending to save’ where we can demonstrate the way in which our sector can achieve economic benefits by improving the quality of peoples’ lives. We can help people to ‘contribute’ more and ‘depend’ rather less.

Making sense of our market place in the current climate, and adjusting our business to meet the changes, is challenging for us all. But greater opportunity will be there to provide products and services for our customers, many more of whom will have their own budgets.

The pressure on cost savings gives us the opportunity to provide value, and demonstrate that spending appropriately on the right equipment does bring significant long term savings.

But we will also need to persuade those in power that procurement savings and pressure to reduce our prices must be limited; if we are to be able to invest in the long term, invent and innovate, and create the jobs that are needed to sustain economic growth.

Ray Hodgkinson MBE, Director General

ContentsTSI Conference ............................................4

British Healthcare Awards .................6

Pointing the way ahead .......................7

Facing the issues .......................................8

Trade Days education .........................10

BHTA CPD ....................................................11

Member news ............................................12

New members ...........................................19

Find us at www.twitter.com/wwwbhta


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WESTMINSTER WATCH by Lord Rennard

Consumer rights?Businesses must be aware of what the new Consumer Rights Bill is likely to meanThe Consumer Rights Bill will be very important for

businesses who need to be aware of what the new legislation is likely to mean. The Bill aims to simplify and bring together all the legislation affecting consumer rights and protections, and update them. Consumers sometimes complain that it is very hard to know what rights they have if they are sold a faulty, incorrect or mis-advertised product. There is also a great deal of difficulty for businesses, and particularly SMEs, who do not have compliance and legal departments to make it clear what responsibilities they have if there is a complaint.

The Bill sets out what consumers have a right to expect when they purchase goods:

• goods must be of satisfactory quality

• goods must be fit for purpose

• goods to be as described

Installation: The Bill makes it clear that, where the goods are both supplied and installed by a trader, then an incorrect installation can also be subject to remedies for goods.

Right to reject: In most circumstances where goods do not conform to the required standard, the consumer will have a right to reject the goods, return them and end the contract.

Right to repair or replacement: The Bill also sets out a right to have a repair or replacement instead of a right to reject. The right to repair or replace is only available where it is not disproportionate compared to the other remedies available.

Services: must be carried out with reasonable care and skill Consumers have a right to expect services to be carried out with the appropriate level of care and skill.

Information to be binding: This is an important new provision

which has not existed in previous consumer law. It requires that the information provided by a trader in negotiating a contract is binding on the services they provide.

In reasonable time at a reasonable price: The Bill also requires that services are carried out in reasonable time and at a reasonable price.

Remedies: The remedies available for problems with services are more limited than for goods. In particular consumers will have the right to require a repeat performance of the services, a right to enforce specific terms of the contract or a right to a price reduction.

Unfair terms: The Bill create a general requirement that contracts must be fair to the consumer. This seeks to ensure that traders, and particularly larger traders, do not use their power to force consumers into unbalanced terms.

Transparency: The Bill also requires that there is transparency in consumer contracts. This means that the full terms of the contract must be easily understood by the consumer, without hidden unfair terms for them.

Private actions in competition law: It will be easier for consumers and businesses to take private action against infringements of antitrust provisions in competition law. The Bill widens the types of competition cases that can be heard by the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT). At the moment CAT can only hear ‘follow-on cases’- cases in which infringements have already been found by the Competition and Markets Authority or other regulator. Under the Bill CAT will be able to hear stand alone cases against competition law.

You can get full details about the Consumer Rights Bill here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consumer-rights-bill


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This year’s Trading Standards Institute (TSI) Conference was attended by 1,500 people over four packed days in Harrogate – including BHTA as exhibitors.

Delegates were a mix of Trading Standards Officers, local government, brands and businesses, all focused on improving standards and protecting consumers.

Opened by Baroness Crawley, TSI President, the Conference underlined that consumers continue to look for clear messages on trustworthy, reliable traders to use. From a business perspective, there is a clear desire to continue seeking ways that companies can clearly define themselves as legitimate traders with high standards. Both of these topics were discussed throughout Conference, particularly during the last plenary, facilitated by Matt Allwright (of BBC Watchdog’s “Rogue Traders”).

Codes of Practice approved under the Consumer Code Approval Scheme (CCAS) offer a simple way for Trading Standards Officers and local government contacts to identify trustworthy businesses in their area and, where appropriate, direct consumers to them.

Local authorities now have a legal duty to signpost people who are assessed as needing equipment, but don’t meet the authority’s eligibility criteria for provision, to a suitable supplier. There is clearly a resource issue for local authorities in trying to research all the possible suppliers in their area, or carrying out a tender exercise to achieve this. But signposting to BHTA members offers a simple, low-risk solution – these are companies with existing accreditation through BHTA and TSI, who also have an independent complaints process in place.

During the conference, BHTA attended seminars on the Primary Authority register (run by the Better Regulation Delivery Office) and misleading advertising, both issues of concern for our members. There was some discussion with delegates about the variety of locally-run “Trusted Trader” schemes, which use different criteria and operate on a local or regional basis, and how these might be consolidated to offer more clarity for consumers and businesses.

Consumer safetyAwards were presented at the conference, including “TSI Hero” awards, given to individuals for their contribution to consumer safety. They celebrate carers, community members and journalists who go above and beyond their job remit to help vulnerable consumers.

This year’s winners include Wendy Sonley, a carer for an elderly man with Parkinson’s Disease. She discovered that he had repeatedly made substantial payments to an organised crime group posing as property repair tradesmen and overall was defrauded of £250,000 over eight years. Mrs Sonley made a Safeguarding Alert to North Yorkshire Police who referred the matter to North Yorkshire Trading Standards Investigations and Safeguarding team, who began an investigation.

It was discovered that the same gang had defrauded another elderly man with mental health difficulties of £12,200; a woman in her 80s with dementia had lost £18,532; and a couple in their 80s and 90s had been defrauded of £26,638. It was clear that this gang would have continued targeting elderly and vulnerable people until they had no money left. The two main offenders ultimately received sentences of seven and a half years and four years.

County Councillor Chris Metcalfe, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Trading Standards said: “Wendy is an example to all of us of the role we can play in the fight against doorstep crime. Members of the public must not under-estimate the vital role they can play in reporting such offending and doorstep callers to us immediately.”

TSI chief executive Leon Livermore said: “Funding for trading standards services across England and Wales will decline on an average of more than 40% over the lifetime of this parliament. While we work toward a more consistent funding mechanism, heroes like Wendy play a vital role in helping trading standards officers protect vulnerable members of the community.”

BHTA is encouraging members to participate in National Consumer Week, 3-7 November, for which this year’s theme is doorstep crime.

“Changing behaviour” at the TSI Conference


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Successful first yearThe 2014 TSI Conference celebrated the one year anniversary of CCAS , after TSI took over the codes element of the Office of Fair Trading’s work in spring 2013. It’s been a successful first year, with increased recognition of consumer codes among consumers, code member businesses highlighting their membership and the addition of the Motor Industry Code of Practice for Vehicle Warranty code.

For the first time, the CCAS sponsors including BHTA had their own stand, informing delegates about approved codes and how they help consumers and businesses. The CCAS benefits consumers because members put extra checks in place to protect consumers going above and beyond the call of duty to help consumers and gives consumers confidence that they’re dealing with reliable traders. The CCAS benefits businesses because it allows them to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Ray Hodgkinson, BHTA’s Director General, is now Chair of the Consumer Codes Approval Board and attended the anniversary celebration, alongside TSI Chairman John Peerless and Chief Executive Leon Livermore.

It’s important to the code sponsors – and to consumers – that high standards are maintained, with serious consequences for any member company who breaches the code they’ve committed to. The first prosecution of a code member company has recently taken place, resulting in a £10,000 fine (after a guilty plea). This demonstrates how seriously TSI and code sponsors take enforcement of the approved codes, both in terms of the running of the codes themselves and the behaviour of individual members.


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Take the first step to becoming an award-winnerEntering the British Healthcare Awards is an easy, cost-effective way to raise your profile and demonstrate how proud you are of your work.

Categories are:• Best New Business• Best Product/Service Innovation• Best Established Product/Service• Best Marketing Campaign • Best Creative Solution• Independent Living Design Award

and we believe most assistive technology businesses will be able to enter for at least one award.

We received an unprecedented number of entries last year and this year entering is even easier! The whole process is now electronic, with no paper copies required. Simply complete the entry form at www.bhta.net/awards, return it to us with payment details for the £25 fee and we’ll provide a link for you to upload your entry. It’s quick, simple and you have until 15 September 2014 to get your entry in.

Our panel of independent judges, representing industrial, professionals and consumers will review all the submissions and decide on the winners, to be presented at the Awards dinner on 11 December. Take the first step to becoming an award-winning business and submit your entry by 15 September.

Start your journey to being an award-winning company at www.bhta.net/awards

The British Healthcare

Awards 2014

Help us find thebest in Britain’sHealthcare

Industry

Managing Director Steve Warburton of Disabled Care and Mobility, BHTA Team of the Year 2013 said:

Winning the award was definitely a very proud moment in my life. After all the hard work that we as a team have put in over the years it is

extremely rewarding to know how much our customers appreciate what we are all about.

Working to high ethical standards yourself is one thing, but to have your customers let you know that your staff also have the same approach, well, you couldn’t ask for any more really could you!!

Since winning the award there is definitely a feel good factor around the place and I certainly feel that it has increased the profile of “Disabled Care & Mobility”.

”

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Do you know what your insurance policies actually cover?Insurance provides essential cover for dire circumstances. But the peace of mind insurance gives you is misleading if you don’t know what your policies actually cover. It can sometimes lull people into complacency—with owners preferring to know that the policy is there rather than studying the specifics: out of sight, out of mind.

Insurance is unique in that you buy it but hope to never use it. But what if you did have to file a claim? Would you know what your policy covers, and, more importantly, what it excludes? When was the last time you actually reviewed your policy?

To avoid an unpleasant surprise in the form of a big financial loss not covered by your insurance policies,

create an insurance file that contains all your commercial policies in one readily accessible location.

Regularly update your insurance file to reflect the addition of any new policies or changes to any existing ones. Keep a second copy of your insurance file in a separate, off-site location in case your primary file is destroyed—your insurance file will likely be your first recourse in the event of a big loss.

ICB Group is here to help and will ensure you know exactly what your policies do and do not cover. As members of the BHTA, feel free to contact ICB for impartial advice. ICB Group run the BHTA Preferential Members Insurance Scheme which is an exclusive insurance scheme for BHTA members.

The BHTA Preferential Members Insurance Scheme is provided for BHTA by ICB Group of Virginia House, 35 - 51 Station Road, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9LB. ICB Group and BHTA are not part of the same group as any of the product/service providers which together form the insurance scheme. BHTA is an Introducer Appointed Representative of ICB Group who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check this out on the Financial Services register by visiting http://www.fsa.gov.uk/register/home.do, under register number 4024377.


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Pointing the way aheadAs the way we deliver health and social care changes, a major shift is the move towards increased patient choice and independence. Personal budgets are a clear manifestation of this; the patient has control over how and where their care budget is spent and can choose their own provider of equipment or support services.

For both patients and providers, this is a new situation, to which they will need to adapt. Patients are generally used to having equipment prescribed for them and provided directly to them, without the ability to “shop” for the item they’d prefer.

Not only people with established long-term care needs who have a personal budget will be affected by the current round of changes. There will also be people assessed as having a need for equipment – such as bathing aids, a wheelchair or home adaptations – but who don’t meet the eligibility criteria to have this provided for them by their local authority. They would then need to self-fund (or make a financial contributions towards), equipment based on a professional’s assessment.

This is very much an emerging retail market and consumers are currently largely unaware of the useful equipment that exists to help them, and of named retailers to get the appropriate equipment from. Without an effective means of signposting consumers to trusted private sector partners, the door will be left open for unscrupulous direct selling operators to take advantage of vulnerable people.

Signposting by public sector bodies to good private

providers/retailers is therefore increasingly vital and there is already recognition of the need for this in the Care Act 2014. The Department of Health currently has an open consultation on the draft regulations and guidance relating to provisions in part one of the Care Act, which will come into effect in April 2015, and BHTA is scrutinising the documents.

Local authorities now have responsibility for providing both a professional assessment (as per the Care Act 2014)

and signposting to suitable suppliers to support those self-funding. We believe that this should drive market

confidence for private consumers in this new healthcare equipment market.

A simple means of recognising businesses which can be trusted and employ staff with

appropriate competence becomes crucial. Consumer Codes of Practice, such as

the TSI Approved Code operated by the BHTA, and Voluntary Accredited

Registers can provide these. BHTA will be writing to local authorities,

highlighting their legal duty to signpost those who don’t meet their eligibility criteria to an appropriate provider, and

suggesting BHTA membership as a useful indicator of competence and

reliability.

Following professional assessment, it’s obviously highly desirable to have a consistent

system of equipment provision regardless of which aspect of the public sector is making it available and/

or alongside self-care/self-funding and financial contribution by individuals. The system needs to be readily understood by commissioners, professionals and individuals alike, just as it already is for optical and dental treatment, allowing access by all parties; and with simple signposting.

Health Hub and healthcare savingsBHTA attended the recent GS1 UK Healthcare Conference, to promote Health Hub Code Bank. Produced in partnership with Assistive Partner, this is a central, healthcare-specific databank that suppliers, the NHS and other customers can use to share barcode data, enabling everyone to realise the benefits of barcoding.

All over the world, healthcare has not modernised supply chain and inventory controls in the way other sectors have – some would say because there has been no cost pressure to do so. That has changed and the funding gap as well as patient safety benefits has caused a tidal shift. The UK, USA and EU have all started to mandate barcode use.

While this has been discussed for some time with little concrete action, there has now been an agreement to use a common standard. The NHS cannot squeeze payroll or property savings any further, so the last place to save is non-pay expenditure and supply chain/inventory efficiency.

The 2013 NHS contractual terms can force suppliers to comply with using GS1 standard barcoding and it is easier to implement this in a controlled, planned manner rather than waiting for a two week compliance notice. The direct savings in inventory management and other in-house benefits will be

at least twice the cost – probably more.

Experience shows that very little needs to change, it is just that the things you have written in letters and numbers now will need to be adapted, with batches, serial numbers and so on printed in machine-readable formats (barcodes). A useful guide to getting started was created by BHTA

members, with detail such as where to stick labels, what to do first and signposts to helpful documents. This is a good place to start and can be downloaded from www.bhta.net/barcoding.

It is widely thought that costs will tumble with the use of barcodes through efficiency savings and automation, as well as making price comparison on products easier.


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Facing the issuesBHTA organises its members by sector into Sections, each of which has a Chair. Sections are one of the primary ways in which members engage with BHTA and put their views on the issues that affect their business, so we’re always keen for more members to get involved.Here, two of our Chairs talk about how they got into the industry and the issues currently facing their Section.

Clare Kewney, Age UK Hearing Aids (Chair of the Hearing Care Section)I’ve been a qualified Hearing Aid Audiologist for over 17 years. I’ve worked within national organisations, small family businesses as well as running my own private practice which has all given me invaluable experience in all areas within my profession. I am now one of the Directors of Age UK Hearing Aids responsible for Business Development and HR.

I have been the chair of the BHTA Hearing Care Section for nearly three years and I am also a fellow of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA). As a profession, we have been and continue to be on a real change curve. The way people qualify into the profession has changed, the way people access hearing care is changing, particularly with the introduction of the AQP pathway. The internet has driven down the cost of hearing care provision, making it more difficult to compete on a level playing field.

All of this has highlighted the importance of really understanding our market’s unique selling points. As a Section we are focusing on how we deliver a professional patient centred service at a cost that is realistic and sustainable for the business, and looking at influencing the decision makers to ensure patient choice and best practice.

Anna Waugh, Simple Stuff Works (Chair of the Childrens’ Equipment Section)I grew up in a house where both my parents’ lives were dominated with developing person centred care plans and effective equipment for people with complex healthcare needs. A physiotherapist and an engineer they together created some of the first multi-adjustable positioning equipment to be seen in the UK.

I was always inspired by their work and, in particular, adored working with families and individuals to develop effective solutions that would help them in their daily lives, hence establishing Simple Stuff Works CIC in 2007. It’s exciting to be head of the Children’s Equipment Section at this time as we are on the cusp of some major changes in healthcare provision and as chair I am keen to explore how we can utilise person centred approaches such as Personal Health Budgets.

I believe that personalised procurement of equipment will be more cost effective for providers and ultimately provide a better outcome for the individual needing the equipment. This can only be a great thing!

Supporting retailersHalf of all BHTA’s members are retailers, from sole traders up to large national businesses such as Simply Health. We offer a wide range of support to our retail members, but plan to extend this over the next few months with the development of a Retailer Forum. This will be an additional forum for retailers to discuss common issues, whatever their sector. We expect the Forum to have virtual meetings (over Skype or by conference call) as well as to face-to-face, which we know retailers can find it difficult to make time for. BHTA plans to carry out a survey of retailers to understand their needs from the group more thoroughly, before the launch at Trade Days on 5/6 October.

Trade Days has been designed as a trade-only event in response to demand from the industry, enabling retailers, distributors and manufacturers to find “time to do business” outside the confines of a consumer show. We hope to see many BHTA retailers at the event, and as well as the opportunity to meet exhibitors and have in-depth conversations, there is also extensive theatre content for retailers.

These sessions include:n New markets, new profit opportunities – introducing four

growing market sectors in which retailers can build a business and attract new customers.

n Simple retail marketing that’s on the cheap and really works - over 30 years of industry experience in 30 minutes.

n Creating an effective retail space to improve sales - simple tricks to make your showroom work for you - Hear from retail design experts who will cover the importance of providing a brand message and explain how to deliver an in-store personality.

n 10 things retailers should know about complying with the UK flammability regulations.

We would very much encourage BHTA retailers to engage with National Consumer Week in November, for which this year’s theme is doorstep crime. This can be a useful hook for members to carry out their own promotional activity, such as direct mail to residents, writing to local media or introducing their business to their local authority as a BHTA member covered by a TSI-approved code of practice.


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The home for assistive technology practitionersThe assistive technology industry serves a vulnerable group of customers in extremely personal ways that range from helping them to communicate to managing stomas or preventing pressure sores, and this often includes visiting customers in their homes. Given recent care scandals like Stafford (some of which have resulted in criminal prosecution) and the danger of “rogue traders” in the industry who defraud consumers or offer a sub-standard service, the public is rightly concerned about standards. So is the government. This makes it essential for the industry and the people to work in it to demonstrate that they can be trusted.

The government has made it clear that they expect health and social care to be regulated by a series of Accredited Voluntary Registers (AVRs). Supervised by the Professional Standards Authority, these will enable the public to choose the services of practitioners on an independently assessed and approved register.

A national scheme that includes an AVR is crucial to ensuring that our customers not only are safe, but feel safe. The Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society will offer reassurance to customers that whether practitioners work for a one man band or a large national company, whether their role is advising, maintaining, assessing, installing or fitting products, members of the Society are competent and trustworthy.

To apply for a Register, we must first have a functioning Society that can show it is taking a meaningful role in establishing and maintaining standards - this is essential to an AVR being granted by the Professional Standards Authority. To take that first step on the road to a formally accredited, nationally recognised Register, we are asking all BHTA members to sign

up relevant members of staff to the Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society now.

That should include all those who deal directly with the public - sales people, fitters/installers, advisors, technicians and anyone who promotes or advises on the use of a product or service. Some employees may already be members of a separate register or abide by a separate code of professional practice; this is no barrier to joining the Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society and we feel our code will compliment that of other professional bodies.

Membership for BHTA members’ staff is free of charge until 2016 and comes with a range of benefits. As well as those direct benefits, membership will also help instill a sense of pride and belonging to the industry, as well as signalling a commitment to high standards of personal behaviour and technical competence.

We will be formally launching the Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society at Trade Days on 5 and 6 October, where you’ll have an opportunity to meet Council members, ask any questions you have and sign up as a member.

BHTA is committed to pushing the industry forward by ensuring the success of the Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society – we hope you’ll give us your support.

Philip Woodward, Accreditation and Professional Development Manager, [email protected]

There is also an opportunity to enter a competition run by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) to create a 90-second ‘Good Neighbours Stop Rogue Traders’ informational video. The video should be designed to encourage friends, family, neighbours and carers to help protect vulnerable citizens against doorstep crime. Creators of the winning video will receive a £1,000 prize and will have their video played by Trading Standards Officers and community partners across the country as part of an educational campaign.

Now that signposting by public sector bodies to good private providers/retailers is mandated by the Care Act, membership of Consumer Codes of Practice (such as the TSI Approved Code operated by BHTA), is a simple means of recognising businesses which can be trusted. A number of local authorities are looking to set up/endorse networks of suitably accredited retailers, such as the “Safe + Well” scheme being piloted by NRS Healthcare. This makes it more important than ever for retail members to engage, and for non-BHTA members to consider the benefits of joining and becoming accredited.


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Extensive free educational programme revealed for new trade only eventTrade Days is all about giving retailers and suppliers the time to talk business in an environment that is ‘trade only’. However, apart from providing two days of very focussed meetings and discussions, visitors will find lots going on, with plenty of interesting, useful and relevant seminars and workshops taking place. The promise is that there’ll be something for everyone, from business owners, managing directors, technicians, showroom staff and sales teams. Retailers are encouraged to bring along their team members to meet suppliers and sit in on the free seminars that are designed to give businesses real, easy and cost-effective ways to grow sales and profits.

There are a number of different streams to the seminars – Sales Builders, Marketing Boosters, Customer Service Focus, Business Development and Technically Speaking sessions.

If you are looking for new market opportunities to develop new sales and attract new customers, then four sectors will be featured in one seminar. They are telecare, footwear, sensory products and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) products. Promoting in this market needn’t cost a fortune and needn’t take forever. That’s the message in a seminar that will give you ideas about how you can generate interest locally on a shoe-string budget and do it quickly. The presentation will use real examples from our marketplace.

If there is someone in your team who is responsible for producing marketing items, then a seminar about how to write in a way that will make customers take action is sure to be thought-provoking There’s also an opportunity to hear from someone who has been involved in building a business over the past couple of years, focussing on ‘high end’ products with strong design features.

‘Creating an effective retail space to improve sales - even in the smallest space’ is an opportunity to hear from a retail design expert who will show you how to connect with your customers,

provide simple space planning techniques to increase customer flow and consider the key drivers within a retail environment.

Can social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter really make a difference to your business? ‘Get the customer and keep the customer using the power of Social Media’ aims to walk attendees through the steps they need to take to use social media to generate enquiries and sales through the process of staying in touch and conversation.

If someone in your business would benefit from learning about simple but effective selling techniques, then a session that looks

at cross-selling and up-selling will be well worth adding to the list of things to attend. Overcoming objections is crucial when you want to sell more and one of the most common objections is all about the cost of the products. A session will provide practical tips and useful techniques to help you sell those big ticket items more effectively.

There are over 50 free sessions to choose from at Trade Days, including seminars shedding light on batteries, generating interest in the business by running an open day in the showroom,

a look at how customers will be paying for their products in the future through Personal Budgets, Personal Health Budgets and Direct Payments and five things you need to know about clients with medical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.

For information on the full educational programme and to register for the show, visit www.tradedays.co.uk

“ designed to give businesses real, easy and cost-effective ways to grow sales and profits”


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BHTA Continuing Professional DevelopmentTo maintain your competence and keep you up to date in the field, you need to continuously refresh your skills and knowledge. Our well established courses - developed by the industry, for the industry - are a practical, informative means of doing that.

Dates for 2014/15

Course Date Location

BTEC Stoma and Continence Support 14-15 October 2014 Midlands

BTEC Healthcare and Assistive Technology 21/22 October 2014 Midlands

BTEC Pressure Care Awareness 18 November 2014 Midlands

BTEC Stoma and Continence Support 3-4 March 2015 Midlands

Community Equipment Assessor Day 18 March 2015 Midlands

BTEC Healthcare and Assistive Technology 21-22 April 2015 Midlands

BTEC Pressure Care Awareness 13 May 2015 Midlands

Community Equipment Assessor Day 3 June 2015 Midlands

We are an approved BTEC centre, so delegates attending BHTA BTEC courses can not only learn, but gain professional accreditation, recognised in the industry. Our trainers are highly experienced and the courses they deliver designed to be a stimulating mix of work and fun.

Find out more and book your place at: www.bhta.net/cpd

Course Non-Member fee Member fee

BTEC in Pressure Care Awareness £ 310.00 £ 242.00

BTEC in Healthcare & Assistive Technology £ 540.00 £ 415.00

BTEC in Stoma & Continence Support £ 512.00 £ 399.00

Community Equipment Assess Day £ 270.00 £ 207.00

BHTA members benefit from a discount of over 20% on all course fees, making them even better value


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membersnews

Representatives from The Chelsea Pensioners were guests of honour at the recent opening of a sensory garden and sensory room at the Princess Louise of Kensington Care Home which is run by Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust. The garden and room were designed, with some input from the residents, and project managed by Peter Jones of Sensory Plus. For more information

visit www.sensoryplus.co.uk

Sensory garden

Pluss picks up at the ERSA AwardsRepresentatives from Pluss went to London recently for the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) awards, sponsored by Shaw Trust, where Pluss was shortlisted for two awards: Disability Employment and Innovation.

The ERSA Employability Awards aim to celebrate and champion best practice from across the employment related services sector.

Pluss won The Innovation Award, sponsored by PublicCo, for the development of the social franchise Future Clean; an innovative, social franchised, micro-enterprise providing training and employment in very public areas for people with complex disabilities who are traditionally seen as furthest from the labour market. Its expansion across the country, within 13 local authority areas to date, is the result of the unlikely public/private/third sector partnership between Pluss and other major welfare to work providers. Its eco-credentials and commercial effectiveness has won the approval of councils and the BPA.

Pluss also sponsored the award for Large Employer of the Year, which was won by Greggs PLC. Gregg’s work inclusion programme compromises of three initiatives, developed in partnership with specific organisations to help promote the employability of people from very specific disadvantaged groups:

1. Ready to Work: Developed in conjunction with the prisons and probation trusts, this particular programme provides both offenders and ex-offenders with assessment and interview experience.

2. A Taste of Greggs: Developed in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, this programme offers both work experience placement and employment to young people.

3. Work Programme: Shaped for Greggs by various employment support providers, this programme helps to support the longer term unemployed through the provision of work experience and paid employment when possible.

The photo shows Pluss staff members with Esther McVey, the Minister for Employment.


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membersnews

HDTI showcase at Naidex NationalFor the seventh successive year, the Coventry University Health Design & Technology Institute (HDTI) team exhibited at the UK’s largest event dedicated to showcasing products to help people maintain their independence.

Naidex National is the leading homecare, disability and rehabilitation event in the UK which is a platform to highlight a comprehensive range of products and services that are available to help people live more comfortable, enjoyable, productive and independent lives. It attracts over 10,000 visitors, 3,600 health and social care workers and over 1,000 retailers.

The HDTI stand featured a range of case studies showing a variety of client work which the Institute had supported through product design, app design and usability services.

The stand attracted significant attention over all three days

with a large number of people wanting to talk to staff about the support available to help them develop their own ideas.

In addition to this, discussions are taking place with an organisation interested in commercialising HDTI client innovations that require manufacturing and marketing assistance.

HDTI’s innovation support is informed by the depth of its research in the area of assisted living and community healthcare.

This year, HDTI set out to strengthen this link by dedicating part of its stand to a #haveyoursay area where visitors and exhibitors were invited to describe everyday problems that people with disabilities have to manage. These issues and the needs associated with them are being collated and analysed and will feed into the Institute’s future research agenda.


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membersnews

Meeting Access NeedsThe Northern Ireland Assembly approached Access Needs in 2013 regarding a disabled access requirement.

Based in Parliament Buildings the Assembly had an access need for wheelchair users to quickly leave through the front door of the building in a fire evacuation situation. This required the need for a portable ramp to cater for multiple steps. Access Needs quickly identified that the rollaramp portable ramp system would be ideal to provide quick and easy access over multiple steps.

17ft of ramp and support mechanism were supplied, as shown, which resolved the problem.

BEFORE

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Danish awardsKieron Slocombe, Managing Director of R82 UK Ltd has been awarded the Danish Export Association Diploma & HRH Prince Henrik’s Medal of Honour.The award has been given as an acknowledgement for Kieron’s excellent performances in advancing the sales of Danish products and services abroad. R82 UK Ltd has grown rapidly from modest beginnings in 2001 to now stand proudly as a leading supplier of products to assist children with disabilities in the UK.

During his acceptance speech Kieron paid tribute to the support of colleagues in Denmark, the UK and internationally noting that if it were possible he would “simply thank every

single person in R82. Special thanks go to Tom Amby, our finance chief who has been an avid supporter since my very first days with the company, to Jon Preater my sales director whom I have worked with now for 11 years and to Torben Helbo who has guided R82 as its CEO from a family company to an international force.”

The ceremonial occasion was the Danish-UK Chamber of Commerce AGM and Annual Dinner held at Mansion House in the City of London. The splendid surroundings, great food and fine wine marked an important award in a significant career. In Kieron’s words the award “is for me the pinnacle of my 25 years in our industry”.

The award was presented by HE Claus Grube, Ambassador of Denmark to the Court of St James at the Danish-UK Chamber of Commerce AGM & Annual Dinner in their 25th Anniversary Year.


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membersnews

‘Live your life’ – company moving in the right directionDM Orthotics was established by Orthotist, Martin Matthews in 2004 with the vision of providing a better quality of life for individuals facing neuro-muscular and musculo-skeletal problems.

Martin’s idea was to create orthoses which not only provided stability, but would also allow the wearer freedom of movement. He developed a suit using strategically placed Lycra panelling which would correct the wearer’s posture; but unlike traditional rigid bracing, did not restrict their movement and so created the DMO – Dynamic Movement Orthosis. DM Orthotics has since flourished into a thriving, ambitious and busy company distributing its products globally and has helped thousands of people lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

It has grown significantly in the last few years employing more staff and splitting its business into two categories: DMO Medical and the newly launched DMO Sport, which takes the principles from DMO Medical and applies them to sports rehabilitation and performance.

Managing Director Martin Matthews comments, “We have achieved a phenomenal amount in the

last few years. A lot of hard work has gone into making sure we constantly develop our products and find exciting ways of improving them. The launch of the DMO Sport range is a great example of this.”

DM Orthotics lives by the motto, ‘live your life’ and is widely recognised as a world leader in non-rigid orthotic research and treatment of complex conditions such as; Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis, improving function and independence for the user.

To find out more about DM Orthotics and their products visit www.dmorthotics.com

NRS become Dementia FriendsThe Alzheimer’s Society with Public Health England have launched a campaign to encourage everyone to become a Dementia Friend, asking people to recognise that it will take commitment from all of us to care for those with dementia. Dementia Friends strive to encourage and create support networks in local communities across the nation.

NRS Healthcare have been supplying products to support independence and mobility for more than 65 years, and aim for every NRS employee to become a Dementia Friend by the end of 2014. The company hopes eventually to have a Dementia Champion situated across each site. They also have a new dementia care range of eating and drinking aids,

which you can see at www.nrs-uk.co.uk/aids-for-daily-living/dementia-care.html.

NRS Healthcare proudly manages the Integrated Community Equipment Services (ICES) for a number of local authorities and primary care trusts, with 17 ICES contracts covering over 10m people. At Naidex 2014, Rachel Seabrook’s session on Dementia was designed to raise awareness of the condition and also the ways that the symptoms can be managed on a daily basis.


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membersnews

Happylegs walks away with top awardBHTA Member Embryonyx Ltd is celebrating after a national business awards win.Embryonyx, supplier of the Happylegs seated walking machine, which aids circulation by gently exercising the legs, was shortlisted as Funding Champions in GrowthAccelerator’s inaugural Brave and the Bold business awards, and edged out fellow nominees to scoop the prize at the glittering ceremony in London in June.

Awarded for remarkable fundraising and investment, The Funding Champion Award recognises companies that have ensured the best use of their resources, putting all money raised to the best possible use to further business growth and ambitions. Embryonyx’s win of The Funding Champion Award comes as a vindication of Managing Director, Angus Long’s, hard work and dedication in bringing Happylegs to the UK market, with the use of early stage funding, combined with leveraging retained cash from initial orders, swaying the judges.

Angus Long said: “GrowthAccelerator is obviously a hugely influential body and to be recognised by it in this way is a tremendous accolade.”

Stephen Peacock, Director of Operations at GrowthAccelerator says, “The standard of entries for The Brave and The Bold has been incredibly high and the competition amongst shortlists was fierce. Those selected as winners have achieved truly remarkable growth and serve as shining examples of British enterprise at its finest.”

Skills and Enterprise Minister, Matthew Hancock, said: “It is part of our long term economic plan to ensure Britain is the best place for small businesses to start up and scale up. Government backed services like GrowthAccelerator help to create the right environment for enterprise. These awards celebrate the best of British businesses which are vital for our economy and I congratulate everyone for their exceptional successes over the past year.”

Family businessI founded Access Able in March 2003 prompted by the sad loss of my father who experienced mobility problems in his later years. My building business had specialised in the latter years on the disability sector.

It was amazing to actually see the difference the adaptations we were able to carry out to peoples’ homes made to their lives. We would adapt kitchens and bathrooms, improve access, widen doorways and install ramps for wheelchair users, and could see the great benefit that merely fixing a grab rail had on the quality of customers’ home lives. This was a big influence on my decision to establish Access Able.

From day one my mum always helped out in the shop three or four days a week with a smile, friendly banter and a desire to help everyone right up until she also sadly passed away in 2010. She helped us establish grow and flourish in those early years, our family values and ethics have always been absolutely the key factor as to why we have always had

such loyal and satisfied customers. We are the friendly old fashioned corner shop where good service and satisfied customers are appreciated, remembered and valued but never taken for granted.

These values come naturally to my carefully chosen staff, which now includes my wife Nicky who helps out in sales, eldest daughter Angela who keeps a tight rein on the company finances and youngest daughter Lisa who looks after our website, marketing and advertising needs

Based in South Bristol, we offer an extensive range of mobility and homecare products to assist the elderly, disabled and infirm. We operate the Motability scooter and power chair scheme. We sell, service, maintain and repair virtually every type of product that is available, and will hire most products including stair lifts, chairs, beds, scooters, wheelchairs if it suits the needs of our customers best.


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membersnews

Whether through disability, illness or advancing years, Access Able will always be committed to improving quality of life for our customers and helping people retain their independence.

Bob Sansom (Access Able Founder and Director)

A group of north London youngsters had the drive of their life recently when Welwyn Garden City-based charity HAD’s Driving Centre visited their school for a special taster day.Assessors Sean Lawrence and Mark Thackeray joined Manager David Wooder at West Lea School in Edmonton. They gave ten

teenage students with learning disabilities the opportunity to get behind the wheel for the first time and drive around the school grounds.

David Wooder said the day was a big success: “The idea was to advise the students on whether we felt they had the ability to embark on learning to drive. Even if we said it would be best not to, they would at least have a bit of fun driving a car in a safe environment.”

Arnold Kyeswa, 17, explained how much he enjoyed being in the car for the first time: “I loved controlling the car and handling the steering wheel. It would be great to be able to drive so that my mum won’t have to give me lifts or order a cab for me to get everywhere.”

The school’s Community and Enterprise Manager Julian Halford thinks that children should not be held back by their disabilities when learning to drive. “I believe that only five per cent of people with learning disabilities work and that is a terribly low amount. We want to change that in any way possible and adding the ability to drive to their CV will help tremendously.”

HAD provide a number of key services for older and disabled people including mobility equipment, accessible transport and driving lessons and assessments.

For information visit www.hadnet.org.uk or call 01707 324581.

Students get a taste of the road


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President Phil Isherwood NRS tel 0845 121 8111

Section Chairs 2014The BHTA is the largest trade body in the healthcare field in Britain representing nearly 500 companies, small, medium and large, organised in one or more of 14 sections covering most sectors of the industry. This unique sectional structure provides a platform for all companies to have an effective voice within BHTA and, through the Association, to influence the development of healthcare policies in the UK.

The sections and the Section Chairs are:

AAC David Morgan Meandi Business Services Limited Tel: 07860 438372

Beds and Support Surfaces Leyton Stevens Invacare Ltd Tel: 01656 776200

Childrens’ EquipmentAnna WaughSimple Stuff Works CICTel: 01827 307870

Dispensing Appliance Contractors Chairman: Kevin Hodges Surecalm Healthcare Tel: 07711 627419

FAME Alastair Maxwell Crest Medical Tel: 0845 230 2090

Hearing CareClare KewneyAge UK Hearing AidsTel: 0800 524 4708

Independent Living Products & Services Andrew Stevenson Nottingham Rehab Supplies Tel: 0845 121 8111

Mobility Group Simon Biddulph MDC Consultancy Ltd – Tel: 07774 857622 (Mob)

Orthotics Colin Hurley Salts Healthcare Ltd Tel: 07921 917100

Pressure Care, Seating and PositioningDebbie WilliamsInvacareTel: 01656 776200

Prosthetics Philip Yates Otto Bock Healthcare PLC Tel: 01784 744900

Stairlifts and Access Angus Long Embryonyx Limited Tel: 07968 421 428

Stoma and Continence ProductsPhillip SaltSalt’s Healthcare LtdTel: 0121 333 2000

Telehealthcare Mike Telford A & D Instruments Ltd Tel: 01235 550420

Tracey Lloyd Commercial Director

Susan Burberry Accounts Administrator

Ray Hodgkinson MBE Director General

Stephen Rigg Membership Marketing Manager

Karla West Committee Secretary

Nigel WoodsTraining and Events Co-ordinator

Sarah Lepak Director of Governance & Policy Development

Karim Uddin Membership Co-ordinator

Kate Webster Marketing and Communications Manager

Lord Rennard Director of Communications

Nadim Anwar Operations Manager

Philip Woodward Accreditation and Professional Development Manager

who’s who

Additional Team Member - Ali Hussain General administrator and secretary

Chairman Mike Lord tel 020 7702 2141


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BEDS & SUPPORT SURFACES1. ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS (UK) LTD Joseph Priestley Enterprise Village, Field Head Lane, Birstall, Yorkshire WF17 9BN t 0845 344 1912 f 0845 344 1913 e [email protected] w www.essential-healthcare.com

DISPENSING APPLIANCE CONTRACTORS2. RAPID CARE Unit 6, Stanley Centre, Kelvin Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9SE t 01293 544533 e [email protected] w www.rapidcare.co.uk

INDEPENDENT LIVING PRODUCTS & SERVICES3. ADAMAS HARDWARE LTD St Georges House, 215-219 Chester Road, Manchester M15 4JE t 07917 606208 e [email protected] w www.adamas-hardware.co.uk

4. EUROCARE SHOWERS LTD Unit 11, Shaw Lane Ind. Est., Ogden Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN2 4SP t 01302 344163 e [email protected] w www.eurocare-showers.com

5. H&M HEALTH & MOBILITY (KATNIC Ltd) 3-6 Station Road, Consett, Co Durham DH8 5RL t 01207 592822 e [email protected] w www.hm-healthandmobility.com

6. HEALTH AND CARE 204, Raleigh Road, Dolphin Square, London SW1V 3NPO t 020 7931 8766 w www.healthandcare.co.uk

7. HOPPER PRODUCTS LTD 10 India Street, Edinburgh EH3 6EZ t 0131 225 8715 e [email protected] w www.thehopper.co.uk

8. HYDRATE FOR HEALTH LTD 1 Westfield Place, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AY t 07808 169601 e [email protected] w www.hydrateforhealth.co.uk

9. KLYDE MOBILITY LTD Garrion Bridges Garden Centre, Horsley Brae, Overtown, Wishaw, Lanarkshire ML2 0RR t 01698 358224 w www.klydegroup.co.uk

10. LIFT SEAT LTD (DIACO LTD) 56 West Street, Shoreham By Sea, West Sussex BN43 5WG t 0800 043 9358 e [email protected] w www.liftseat.co.uk

11. M A SMITH ASSOCIATES Bregawn, Upper Sapey, Worcester WR6 6XT t 01886 853610 e [email protected] w www.handling4u.co.uk

12. MARSH MEDICAL ADAPTATIONS LTD Three Oaks, The Mount, Southfleet Road, Bean, Dartford, Kent DA2 8BS t 01474 705746 e [email protected] w www.marshmedical.co.uk

13. MUGGI LTD Gable Cottage, Sopworth, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6PS t 07970 029346 e [email protected] w www.muggi.co.uk

MOBILITY GROUP RETAILERS14. ACCESS NEEDS (Not shown on map) 7 CIDO Business Complex, Carn Drive, Craigavon, Co. Armagh, N. Ireland BT63 5WH t 028 38 398877 e [email protected] w www.accessneeds.co.uk

15. BESURE MOBILITY 4 Waterloo Crescent, Countesthorpe, Leicester LE8 5SU t 0116 340 8240 e [email protected] w www.besuremobility.co.uk

16. MIDSHIRES LTD Trent Business Park, Power Station Road, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 2WB t 01889 582332 e [email protected] w www.midshiresgtroup.co.uk

17. MOBILITY PRODUCTS 4 U (ROBERT WINCHURCH LTD) 9 Lloyd Street, Llandudno LL30 2UU t 01492 519702 e [email protected] w www.mobilityproducts4u.org

18. WINGS MOBILITY 35, Arden Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6HL t 01293 3232843 e [email protected] w www.wingsmobility.com

19. SUSSEX & SURREY CARE CENTRES Unit 17, Bolney Grange Business Park, Stairbridge Lane, Bolney, West Sussex RH17 5PA t 01444 230302 f 01444 235595 e [email protected] w www.sussexcarecentres.co.uk

STAIRLIFTS & ACCESS20. HARMAR UK Unit 35, Phoenix Industrial Estate, Charles Street, West Bromwich B70 0AY t 0121 314 7450 e [email protected] w www.harmar.com/uk

TRADE AFFILIATE21. PARKINSON’S UK 215 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1EJ t 020 7963 3909 e hello @parkinsons.org.uk w www.parkinsons.org.uk/shop

New membersA warm welcome to all these new member companies:

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Our Guarantee That You Will:… learn something that will help your business straight away

… have all the time you need to talk business with new and existing suppliers

….find new products to benefit your business and customers

….save money with plenty of trade deals on offer

….find it time well spent, along with your team, who will leave inspired

….understand why suppliers and retailers requested this event

….want to come back next year!

Seminars Will Cover:> Sales strategies - Simple but effective selling techniques, overcoming price objections

> Marketing advice - Practical tips for effective websites, copywriting, running great events and ‘how to’ to

promote your business without breaking the bank

> Technical briefings including tips and guidance for you and your customers on batteries and UK

flammability regulations.

> Business development - how to ‘retail’ in small spaces, becoming ‘retail’ savvy, protecting a great idea.

> Industry updates- all the latest on regulation, consumer legislation changes, the pitfalls of internet sales

> Supplier updates - what companies are up to, future plans, what new services they are offering retailers.

From a retailer point of view this type of ‘Trade Only’ event is long overdue. Although it’s

always useful to attend other events where there is a mixture of visitors, it can be very difficult to actually talk business.

Alastair Gibbs, Managing Director TPG DisableAids Ltd

Knowing that everyone you see and speak to is in the trade, just like yourself, will make it so much easier to do business.

Richard Holland-Oakes, Recare

We will definitely be attending and the inclusion of a Sunday will make it easier for many

other retailers to attend too. Great idea.

Kevin Snowball, Managing Director Simplyhealth

We are all looking forward to visiting Trade Days this October where we can spend time with new and existing suppliers. A long-overdue concept.

Jemma Dunn, MT Mobility Limited

Trade days provides the right environment for businesses like ours to be able to sit down with

existing and new suppliers and have the time to talk properly about how we can move forward together.

Phil Moore, The Care Team

There’s been a real need for some time for a ‘meeting of minds’ in the industry and an event produced for retailers. Trade Days offers this and much more and we are looking forward to it.

Steve Glenn, Mobility Assistance

Register online now at www.tradedays.co.uk

Trade Days is a two day event created for the trade involved in the manufacture, supply and retail of the range of products that make up the homecare, healthcare, mobility, rehabilitation, independent living and assistive technology markets.

Who Should Attend:> Business Owners

> Business Managers

> Sales Managers

> Sales Representatives

> Product Advisors

> Service Engineers

> Marketing Managers

> Showroom Managers

> Customer Service Teams

Key Suppliers to Meet:

Over 100 trade suppliers now booked. See the full list at www.tradedays.co.uk


bhta bulletin july 2014

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care services

care bill

greater value

important cost savings

important changes

significant changes

greater opportunity

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