BOLTON-based medical products innovator and manufacturer Vernacare has been shortlisted for a prestigious health industry award.

The company has reached the finals of the Medilink North West Awards — one of three shortlisted companies in the UKTI Export Achievement Award category.

Vernacare designs and manufactures single-use bedpans, urinals, wash bowls and other containers from renewable natural fibre, which are disposed of in Vernacare's Vortex disposal machines.

This improves standards of patient safety and care — reducing the risk of infection, reducing cost, saving nurses' time and boosting environmental performance.

A commitment to innovation has allowed Vernacare to export its hygienic disposable patient toileting and washing products to 48 countries and experience significant international sales growth. Recently, the company has dispatched its infection control products to Sierra Leone to assist the fight against Ebola.

Vernacare’s Global Marketing Director Emma Sheldon said she was proud the company had been shortlisted for the award.

She said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious award during our 50th birthday year. This recognises our longstanding success as exporters and our successful trading relationships across every continent. Our new international strategy is paying dividends as we open up new market opportunities."

In 2013, Vernacare won the North West Medilink Award for Partnership Working with the NHS — in recognition of its successful collaboration with the NHS in developing the disposable female urinal, VernaFem.

Paul Watt, Executive at Medilink North West said: “The standard of entries we have received for our awards this year has been extremely high. The successes of our shortlisted companies – and of course our winners — should give great confidence about the strength of the Healthcare Technologies sector in this region."

The winners will be announced by former Winter Paralympian and World Cup Skier, Sean Rose at a ceremony in Manchester on 5 December.

Those five award winners will then be put forward for consideration for next year’s national Medilink UK Awards, which take place at the MedTech Innovation Expo, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, on 29 April 2015.

For further information on the firm go to www.vernacare.com