Inditherm falls to deeper annual loss

The Rotherham-based company, which makes heating systems used in hospitals as well as the chemical and food industries, reported a pre-tax loss of 1.1m in the year to the end of December, compared to a 324,000 loss a year earlier.

The company's heated mattresses are used in operating theatres in more than 50 NHS hospitals, helping keep patients warm during surgery. However, pressure on hospital budgets temporarily halted "what has previously been a steady growth trend". Medical orders grew by 10 per cent.

Revenue fell by 42 per cent to 1.2m, which the group said was largely because of start-up sales to its US distributor Smiths Medical a year earlier.

Chairman Mark Abrahams said: "As was the case for many businesses, 2009 was undoubtedly a difficult year for Inditherm, however the progress we have made in recent months is more encouraging.

"While broadly our customers have been impacted by the economic situation, we were pleased to see growth in some areas of the business, notably in medical orders through our overseas distributors and in the margins for the industrial business. We have focussed our resources on these areas and are optimistic that the positive trends we are seeing in enquires and orders will continue into 2010."