Inditherm aims to bed down in NHS

The Rotherham-based company is focusing on the medical sector after quitting the food process industry last year. It ceased supplying firms such as confectioners with heating equipment after a series of contract disappointments.

“The first major project that came along that could have used out technology, they bottled it,” said chief executive Nick Bettles.

“It’s a situation we have seen consistently. We got to a point where we said ‘Which horses are we going to back?’ ”

Inditherm passed the process work to engineering group ADI, although retains the rights to the technology plus a small percentage of future sales. It hopes focusing on medical will allow it to reach break-even.

The company yesterday reported a 47 per cent increase in sales from continuing operations to £1.3m in 2010. Pre-tax losses decreased to £409,000 from £723,000 a year earlier.

Inditherm’s patient heating systems use energy efficient polymer technology, which automatically warms patients undergoing surgery. Its medical orders increased by 50 per cent in 2010, including 90 per cent UK growth.

It recently won draft recommendation from National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for its heated mattresses, and hopes the pressure on NHS budgets will force more hospitals to seek savings via its technology.

“The opportunities are significant,” said Mr Bettles. “We are seeing more people prepared to consider changing.”