A Medical Device Daily

The UK Department of Health reported last month that 100th new hospital to be built under the biggest hospital building program in the history of the National Health Service (NHS), St. Helens Hospital in Merseyside, has admitted its first patients.

The NHS Plan in 2000 reported that 100 new hospitals would be built by the end of 2010 under the building program to replace aging and unsuitable infrastructure, through a mixture of Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) and public-funded plans.

To date, 131 hospitals have been built or are under construction as part of the program, at a total cost of £12 billion.

The Department of Health says the program is "not just about replacing old buildings but also is helping to improve the patient experience, modernize services and improve access and choice."

Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson said, "The opening of St. Helens Hospital ... is fantastic news for patients, who will now benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and surroundings as well as first-class care."

He added: "We launched the building program to replace and modernize the aging NHS estate, half of which dated from before 1948 and was not fit for purpose in a modern NHS. That figure is now down to 20% and by the end of 2010 we will have exceeded our original target by a minimum of 25 more [hospitals]."

A large majority of these programs are completely new hospitals, while a small number represent modernization of existing buildings.

Part of the St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, St. Helens Hospital is one of the top-performing acute trusts in the country and scored a double excellent rating in the Healthcare Commission's annual Healthcheck report published recently.

The new hospital provides a full range of outpatient clinics, an enhanced and expanded outpatient surgery suite, operating theatres and a state-of-the-art diagnostic suite.

The trust has been one of the early implementers of the NHS 18 Week Target program and has low infection rates, following strict infection control policies to ensure that patients are treated in a clean, safe environment. It also was rated "Better Performing" in a 2008 maternity survey and is one of the top five healthcare facilities in the country for treating patients with breast cancer.

Ann Marr, chief executive of St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said, "The whole hospital has been designed with clinicians and with infection control in mind. We have curved skirtings, walls and pillars so no germs can hide in [joints] or cracks. We have invested in the most up-to-date equipment in the world, to put our patients at the center of everything."

The Department of Health said overall annual capital expenditure on hospital building has increased from around £1.1 billion in 1997-98 to around £5.5 billion in 2007-08.

Three new distributors for Misonix

Misonix (Farmingdale, New York), a developer of minimally invasive ultrasonic technology that is used in Europe for the ablation of cancer and worldwide for other acute health conditions, reported entering into new distributor agreements in the UK, Greece and Italy.

The company has entered into a four-year, exclusive distribution agreement with Imaging Equipment Ltd. (Bristol, UK) for the distribution of the SonaStar Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator, BoneScalpel Ultrasonic Bone Cutter and SonicOne Ultrasonic Wound Debrider.

The agreement provides Imaging Equipment with the rights to sell in the UK and Ireland, and includes minimum purchase requirements. This agreement follows Misonix's successful joint venture with Imaging Equipment, established in 2006 as UKHIFU, to market the Sonablate 500 High Intensity Focused Ultrasound System to clinicians in the UK and Ireland.

"Misonix is ... pleased with this additional agreement with Imaging Equipment. Our past experience with Imaging Equipment gives us a high degree of confidence in their ability to target markets characterized by state-of-the-art technology," said Michael McManus Jr., president/CEO of Misonix.

Misonix also entered into a five-year, exclusive distribution agreement with ST-Medical (Athens, Greece) for the same devices. The agreement provides ST-Medical with the rights to sell in Greece and Cyprus.

The company said it has entered into an "interim" distribution agreement with Lithomobile, a division of Alliance Medical Srl (Milan, Italy), under which Lithomobile will provide the Sonablate 500 HIFU system, on a mobile fee for service basis, to two hospitals, Ospedale S. Michele and Casa di Cura Arco dell' Angelo, both located in Cagliari, Sardinia.

Misonix will supply the equipment and support services, and, in return, will receive the bulk of the revenue. Lithomobile and Misonix are in negotiations for a definitive agreement for distribution of the Sonablate throughout Italy.

The company said Lithomobile is well known in Italy as a distributor of mobile lithotripsy services, as well as in representation of capital equipment for oncology and other medical specialties.