Three Top Accolades In Three Months - Queen's Award Recognises Innovative Company Dedicated To Reducing Patients' Wound Pain

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Dermatology
Article Date: 21 Apr 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Activa Healthcare, the UK's market leading compression therapy company, has today (21st April 2008) been awarded with the most prestigious corporate accolade for its commitment to making groundbreaking developments in treating wound pain and venous and lymphatic disease.

The award is Activa's third recognition of corporate excellence in as many months, having been named the UK's sixth best small company to work for, with the happiest staff in the country, in this year's "100 Best Small Companies" nationwide poll; and also having been awarded Best Companies Three Star Status, as an "extraordinary employer". *

It also marks the second time in the last five years that Activa Healthcare - celebrating its 10th anniversary - has won the esteemed Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category, entering it into an elite group of companies that have been recognised more than once.

Activa Healthcare is pioneering the treatment of wound pain with its British patented hydrogel technology, which significantly reduces pain from epidermal damage (1) caused by, for example, leg ulcers, burns, scalds and radiation therapy. The product, ActiFormCool, is gentle enough that it is now being used successfully to treat even the most delicate of wounds on premature babies.

A number of independent clinical research papers have concluded that ActiFormCool effectively reduces wound pain. It is recognised that wound pain should be handled as one of the main priorities in chronic wound management, together with addressing the cause, and unless wound pain is optimally managed, patient suffering and costs to the healthcare system will increase. (2)

Patient feedback puts pain ahead of wound healing in terms of what matters most, which has important implications for the one-in-three of over 65 year-olds who are in continual pain. (3) Leg ulcers affect more than 1% of the UK population at any one time, costing the health service around £600 million per year.

Activa has further helped to revolutionise the lives of leg ulcer patients, with its Leg Ulcer Hosiery Kit. The new product is designed to give independence to people who previously had to wear bulky bandages, which severely limited their activities. Activa's alternative hosiery and liner kit offers patients optimum comfort, mobility and quality of life, like never before.

Marc Courtney, Activa Healthcare's Managing Director, says, "We're delighted to receive the Queen's Award for the second time, and hope it serves to increase awareness of leg health issues. Scooping this award, as well as the 'Best Companies' accolade, truly highlights the entire team's dedication to achieving our shared goals.

"We see it as vital that people become more aware of the first signs of venous disease, in order to prevent early-stage conditions worsening and potentially leading to painful and debilitating leg ulcers later in life. Our products are designed to offer solutions across the entire spectrum of venous health issues, right from preventing varicose veins through to treating and managing chronic oedema and ulceration. Few people recognise that these leg health issues are inter-related and are often preventable if treated at the right time with the right products."

Varicose veins affect around 20-30% of women worldwide (4) and are one of the first signs of venous disease. Activa is constantly introducing new designs, yarns and technologies to its compression hosiery - ensuring it is not only the most effective product range but is also virtually indistinguishable from ordinary hosiery - with its comfort, appearance and ease of application leading to significantly increased patient compliance.

Since winning the Queen's Award in 2003, Activa Healthcare also became the first company to launch a range of specialist products available on prescription to manage lymphoedema, which around one-in-four breast cancer sufferers will develop. (5) ActiLymph has changed the lives of patients who previously had to travel to hospital to receive treatment for the chronic and painful condition.

"As well as product developments, we have introduced industry-leading education schemes for nurses and a number of new resources to make treatment easier and improve patients' quality of life," says Mr Courtney.

For more information about the prevention and treatment of venous and lymphatic diseases, visit http://www.activahealthcare.co.uk or call Activa Healthcare on 08450 606 707.

Further information about Activa Healthcare's pioneering training and industry-first initiatives designed to help healthcare professionals deliver best treatment, including the new Pain Pack, revamped Online Hosiery Selector, nationwide Chronic Oedema Study Days and lymphoedema microsite, can also be found at the newly updated website.

* The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work for, 2008; Best Companies Accreditation, 2008 (http://www.bestcompanies.co.uk)

References:

(1) Young SR et al. Pain management in leg ulcers using ActiFormCool. Wounds UK. October 2005.

(2) Price P, Fogh K, Glynn C, Krasner DL, Osterbrink J, Sibbald RG. Managing painful chronic wounds: The Wound Pain Management Model. International Wound Journal 2007;4 (Supplement 1): 4-14.

(3) Results of 2005 Pain Survey, in which the British Pain Society questioned 975 people.

(4) http://www.familydoctor.co.uk

(5) http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/breast

Activa Healthcare