Supplier of turnkey operating theatre and power solutions, Bender UK, has appointed Ricky Barker – who been with the company for over 15 years – as the new head of its Hospital Business Unit.
During his time with the Cumbria-headquartered firm, he has worked in a variety of healthcare engineering roles, including in commissioning and project management, and latterly as Technical Service leader. Bender UK says he has supported the steady growth and expansion of its Hospital Business Unit, for instance leading the Service Department, which the company says ‘has consistently gained more contracted work by offering complete service solutions for NHS and private medical customers, incorporating the maintenance of complementary third-party systems such as uninterruptible power supplies’.
Bender UK said: “Ricky Barker’s suitability for the role has been put to the test of late, as he has capably steered the Hospital Business Unit team through unchartered waters during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed a huge increase in demand for technical advice and design support, along with equipment supply and installation, for Nightingale field hospital and critical HDU and ICU extension projects. Numerous hospitals have also sought confidence that their critical power systems are safe and resilient, with the Service team completing many essential maintenance and remedial works to ensure that systems can cope with extra demands for power from equipment used to treat coronavirus patients.”
Bender UK is heavily involved in the design and supply of critical care power systems for NHS and private hospitals in the UK and Ireland. It also provides Merivaara operating tables and LED lights, and digital imaging solutions.
Ricky Barker added: “My knowledge and experience in previous roles are definitely a major advantage when overseeing the Service, Sales, and Projects Departments. We are introducing more new products, such as glass touch panels, which are a strategic move to address the specific demands of the UK market. Assembling these panels in the UK not only enables us to respond more quickly to customers’ needs, but also frees up manufacturing resource at our parent company in Germany.”
