Firm ‘supercharged’ its growth plans to deliver new Covid tests
AGAINST a backdrop of redundancies and closures, one Nottinghamshire business has expanded its operation during the pandemic.
Nottinghamshire head-quartered healthcare company, Medichecks ended 2020 with a bolstered team, larger premises and new and improved products.
The home-to-lab testing company, which supported its Ukas-accredited laboratories to help validate finger-prick testing for a Covid antibody test in April, has thrived during the pandemic, but it has been hard work too
Helen Marsden, co-founder and director of Medichecks, said: “We quickly realised as the pandemic was unfolding that we were ideally positioned to support both the NHS and the public. Like many organisations, we wanted to do whatever we could to manage the situation, so we hit the ground running, working tirelessly to fill in the gaps the pandemic had created.
“This meant supercharging our growth plans by developing and launching new tests that people wanted and needed. We lent our expertise and resources to study the virus and released an antibody test in May, followed by a PCR swab kit in September, in a bid to help the public struggling to access the UK’S national testing programme. This prompted our highest number of website visits in almost 18 years of trading.”
Due to stringent regulations around Covid testing, Medichecks built on its robust compliance foundations, carrying out a comprehensive technical review on its CE Marking and launching a new coronavirus-specific product website with a newly integrated payment provider.
The firm has also forged commercial partnerships with High Street giants, including Boots and Holland and Barrett. This was all while moving premises twice - the company now has a permanent home in Bingham in a larger complex to allow for growth and Covid-secure working. Previously, the firm was located in Medicity.
Helen continued: “When I look back at what we’ve achieved since March I couldn’t be prouder of our team – we were fortunate not to lose anyone as a result of the pandemic and in fact, we’ve taken on people to cope with demand and made internal promotions.
“It has been tough, particularly when we reflect on the ever-changing regulatory landscape and uncertainty around the virus, but lots of positive innovations in delivery of healthcare are now commonplace because of Covid.
“We see the healthcare landscape as having permanently shifted to one where people are taking personal responsibility for their health and being actively encouraged to do so.
“Those with chronic conditions have been among the hardest hit by this pandemic, which demonstrates how important prevention is. Almost all of the underlying conditions that increase risk factors for coronavirus are preventable and, in many cases, reversible. Often, people aren’t even aware that they have a condition. This is where the role of health testing comes in – to provide the insights, advice and motivation to help them take the steps they need to improve well being.”