The operator of the world’s largest fleet of mobile operating theatres is targeting expansion in Europe in the wake of the ECB’s plan to inject €1.1 trillion into the Eurozone.
Vanguard Healthcare has appointed Mary Smallbone to the newly-created post of managing director Europe, and is rolling out its UK-developed healthcare technology into mainland Europe.
Mary Smallbone, a qualified theatre nurse, ran regional sales teams for Smith & Nephew before joining Vanguard in 2003 as sales and marketing director. She added operations to her portfolio in 2007, and has already overseen contracts in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Vanguard’s main business is providing mobile operating theatres and mobile wards, usually with experienced theatre staff, to NHS and private hospitals in the UK. Over 200,000 patients have been treated on its fleet of 37 mobiles, which include three mobile endoscopy units.
“We are a technology partner to acute hospitals, providing instant additional capacity whenever it is needed,” said Mary Smallbone. “Hospitals in mainland Europe have similar issues to those in the UK. Sometimes they need extra surgical capacity to tackle a backlog of elective patients or cover for an operating theatre being refurbished.
“We also supply overflow wards or additional clinics next to A&E departments, for example, and endoscopy units in communities to make access easier for patients. We have been doing this for 12 years now, and are aware there is not a similar service on the Continent, so we are introducing the technology to a potentially significant market”.
Chief executive, Ian Gillespie, added: “We see our future as both a technology partner for the NHS, and a pan-European support service. We have lots of experience, and have already carried out some contracts in mainland Europe. The move by the ECB may mean more funds trickling down to national health services, and as the Euro begins to regain its value, we expect to be able to offer an excellent clinical support service at a competitive price. Mary Smallbone understands our product offering better than anybody, and her appointment signifies a change of gear for us in Europe.”
