Burgess Hill manufacturer triples workforce as it supports NHS

RDP Group made the increases to help the NHS care for patients fighting the coronavirus, with support from Lloyds Bank.

The firm specialises in medical carts with inbuilt IT systems. A spokesman said it supplies 95 per cent of NHS trusts across the UK with workstations for medical professionals in hospital wards, pharmacies and operating theatres.

He added: “In March, the NHS asked the business to produce a new cart to equip its Nightingale coronavirus field hospitals in London, Manchester and Bristol as quickly as possible.

“The group designed and manufactured a bedside cart with the specifications needed to meet the unique intensive care requirements of coronavirus patients in just three weeks.

“It has now provided thousands of the carts to Nightingale facilities and other NHS hospitals to increase their capacity.”

To deliver the vital equipment in the turnaround time required, RDP Group increased its production capacity tenfold, tripled its workforce and engaged a broader set of UK based suppliers and logistics partners to ensure fast delivery, according to the spokesman.

The initial ramp up in production and tight timetable for delivery put significant pressure on RDP Group’s cashflow. For support, the business turned to longstanding banking partner, Lloyds Bank.

He said: “Lloyds Bank fast-tracked an overdraft extension and arranged a multimillion-pound increase to an existing working capital facility for RDP Group in 24 hours – easing pressure on the manufacturer’s cashflow and helping it to complete its biggest ever order.”

Duncan McKenzie, managing director, RDP Group, added: “We’ve been a trusted partner of the NHS for 20 years. Our products are designed and manufactured to order, with the specific needs of different medical professionals and the patients they serve in mind.

“For the Nightingale field hospitals, the NHS needed an unprecedented number of medical carts suitable for an intensive care environment quickly. With Lloyds Bank support, we were able to increase and accelerate production to ensure the doctors and nurses working tirelessly on the frontline have the equipment they need to continue giving patients world class care.”

Graham Millward, associate director at Lloyds Bank, said: “RDP Group is an amazing example of a business with a vital role to play during this difficult time, digging deep to support the NHS.

“The facilities we provided helped the firm improve its working capital position during a very busy period and gave Duncan and the team the financial headroom they needed to increase production quickly.”

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