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Home//News//News//Good news on PPE! And how Hcsuk is monitoring stock levels of essential products to help fight COVID-19

Good news on PPE! And how Hcsuk is monitoring stock levels of essential products to help fight COVID-19

May 7, 2020

Some good news at last for social care this week, that temporary VAT zero rating for Personal Protective Equipment has been agreed to aid sectors that cannot recover VAT on such goods due to their VAT exempt status. This will help care homes, to relieve the burden of VAT on the price of purchasing PPE used for protection from coronavirus by front line workers.
This measure is effective from May 1st – July 31st 2020 .

Products covered by the zero rate include:

  • disposable gloves
  • disposable plastic aprons
  • disposable fluid-resistant coveralls or gowns
  • surgical masks – including fluid-resistant type IIR surgical masks
  • filtering face piece respirators
  • eye and face protection – including single or reusable full face visors or goggles

Full details can be viewed at: www.gov.uk

As PPE as well as other products continue to remain a hot topic in the news, we receive many calls from customers wanting to check on our stock levels and supply chains of vital products. As a result, we thought we would take the opportunity in this week’s blog to update you with where we are with our stock levels and what we do have to offer you to help you to protect your staff and residents during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Please be assured of our continued integrity throughout these unprecedented times, that we are working in partnership with our suppliers and have made a commitment to them that we will only supply essential items of PPE to front line care workers and that we will not artificially inflate any of our pricing.

Disposable Gloves
We are currently continuing to receive ‘business as usual’ monthly stock levels on our medial grade vinyl gloves, and we continue to manage our stock by prioritising our existing customers requirements exclusively. You may notice we have disabled certain products on our website, this is to protect certain lines to ensure we have sufficient stock available for our loyal and existing customers.

The supply of nitrile gloves continues to be a challenge and at the moment we are being conditioned that this may not change until July.

Disposable Aprons
The supply chain on disposable aprons is quite challenging at the moment with our regular supplier quoting us dates in July for our next shipment, and we are getting close to exhausting our current stock levels.

We are following up some potential supply opportunities, and whilst we remain hopeful that we will be able to obtain additional stock in the coming weeks, we would always also want to remain transparent with our customers and not promise something we can’t deliver on. So we will keep you updated as and when we have more news on stock availability of these items.

Face Masks
We are continuing to promote our alternative UK manufactured non-disposable respirator face masks which are now in stock and available for delivery.

The manufacturers have put a lot of thought into the design, functionality and safety of this mask to ensure it is:

  • lightweight and comfortable for the wearer
  • meets infection control protocols and being
  • is effective against both droplets and airborne particles
  • superior in quality to the surgeons masks and
  • giving peace of mind to both staff and providers that they are getting enhanced protection.

Eye Protection

We have secured a credible supply of CE marked disposable lightweight face shield with soft elasticated strap and an anti-fog coating which protects the face and eyes from splashing or spraying of infectious or hazardous substances.

The disposable face shields are manufactured from optically clear polyester for maximum visibility, whilst the soft elastic strap and PU foam headband provide additional, long-term comfort and durability.

The product can be worn with or without additional face protection, such as prescription or protective eyewear and face masks.

Key Features

  • Anti-fog protection
  • Optically clear visor for maximum visibility
  • PU foam headband for long-term comfort
  • Soft elasticated strap
  • Lightweight design
  • Protects the face and eyes from splashing or spraying
  • Can be worn with or without eyewear protection and face masks
  • CE Marked

Hand Hygiene

Effective hand cleansing is still classed as the best first line of defence against coronavirus and we are now receiving regular deliveries again of our best selling Cutan Foaming Soap and the 1 Litre dispensers for safe dispensing.

Hand Sanitising with an alcohol based sanitiser ( with a minimum of 60% alcohol as an active ingredient, compliant with BE EN 1500:2013) will kill germs and provide a high level of skin disinfection on visible clean hands.

We now have good stock levels of Sterile 73% Alcohol based Gel Sanitiser available in 12x500ML bottles.

A quick acting, non-tainting food safe alcohol hand rub approved to both BS EN 1500 and BS EN 2176, Sterile is suitable for frequent use in medical and care service applications and is effective against a wide range of common organisms.

Built in skin conditioners prevent drying of skin whilst not leaving any sticky residue.

Proven to kill Influenza Type A Flu Virus Effective against Avian and Swine flu viruses Kills 99.999% of E-Coli and MRSA.

Premium Red Soluble Strip Laundry Sacks

Our premium quality laundry sacks offer a hygienic solution to handling soiled laundry and avoid double handling of dirty linen. They are designed with a special dissolving strip that dissolves when in contact with water.

We have good stock levels of these available to purchase.

New product! Orange heavy duty clinical waste sacks for safe infectious waste disposal.

Using orange clinical waste sacks to dispose of your infectious waste ensures that you and your care facility complies with current best practice infection prevention and waste regulations.

Customers have been requesting best practice advice and product solutions for the safe disposal of infectious waste so we have added this to our infection prevention range.

 

Effective Surface Decontamination

The Coronavirus is not currently available for commercial laboratories to test against so although we cannot give a definitive contact time and dilution rate, our surface disinfection product Selgiene Ultra Virucidal Cleaner has been assessed for virucidal activity following test methods such as BS EN 14476 and BS EN 14675. Results show they are effective against a range of viruses such as the H1N1 influenza virus, Norovirus, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and the Ebola virus.

We would therefore recommend using the below product for general disinfection in the infection prevention and control for the 2019-nCoV on frequently touched surfaces including hand rails, door handles, light switches etc.

Product Concentration Contact time
Selgiene Ultra (5 litres) 1:10 5 minutes
Selgiene Ultra RTU Neat 5 minutes

We have good stock levels of Selgiene Ultra available now to order.

Where specific cases are suspected or identified we would recommend an additional step of applying 1000ppm bleach (after pre-cleaning with Selgiene). We advise the use of Selgiene for pre-cleaning to minimise the risk that the cleaning cloths become a source of cross contamination.

 

To achieve 1000ppm bleach see below:
Product

Chlorine Tablets

Preparation:

1 tablet in 1L water

Concentration:

1000ppm

Contact time:

15 minutes

Please note, all of the products listed are subject to availability, we advise you to order any stock you may need today to avoid disappointment.

If you would like any more help or information regarding how to protect your staff, residents and your home from Coronavirus please contact Hcsuk on 01773 713713 or email us at sales@hcsuk.co.uk

 

 

 

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Customer Testimonials

“We’ve built a strong working relationship with Hcsuk over many years, having used them to source, install and service our medical training equipment. We have always found the team very professional, helpful, and well-organised. We’d like to give a particular shout out to Phil, the technician / engineer who has been the consistent friendly face visiting our business to inspect and test our mobility hoists every 6 months. Thank you for all your support and advice.”

P. B. (Care Manager), Blue Bird Care Ltd

You are part of a great company, if we can help you grow by contracting you out to our sites its good for you, but it’s great for us because your service is fantastic, very efficient, everyone within Hcsuk is super helpful in answering queries and every time we’ve had an issue, Hcsuk has always been there to solve the problem almost immediately, which is fantastic.

Leicestershire County Council

Truly exceptional levels of customer service, the best I have experienced for many years. Very helpful staff made follow up calls to ask how the equipment was performing and supplied extra user instructions to supplement the manufacturers manual. I would not hesitate to order from this company again.

Savills Estate Agents

We would just like to pass on our thanks for all of your help with our orders and would be pleased if you would also pass on our thanks to the manufacturers for being so accommodating in meeting our requirements. We have found everyone very helpful.

Lincs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Since I set up the account for Hcsuk over 18 months ago I have found them to be an excellent advocate of our products. They have been willing to learn about the technical and servicing elements to our hoists and the sales staff have really taken on board and proactively promoted our range where possible. I feel that as a company Hcsuk have got the desire and right people in place for growing in this competitive industry. They seem to push themselves to go that little bit further and offer that little bit more to stand out from the rest. May our relationship continue going from strength to strength.

Joerns Healthcare

As a care home manager I have used Hcsuk for my supplies for the last 20 years in two homes. I have always found them to be helpful and reliable. Their products are of the highest standards, they are able to source anything. The delivery service is prompt and regular so I do not have to keep large amounts of stock. They supply extra services such as servicing and repairs which are done efficiently, and training in COSHH. The reps are pleasant and helpful bringing new products to my attention but are never ”pushy”. Aftercare is good, any problems soon sorted. I would recommend them highly and would not think of using anyone else.

Littleover Nursing Home

HPC have supplied Hcsuk (Health Care Services Ltd) for well over a decade now and we would consider them to be a high quality and professional business run in an organised and progressive manor. We do not rank our customers or have a preferred customer status but if we were to introduce such a scheme I can confirm that Hcsuk would easily make such a grade.

HPC Healthline

As a manufacturer we look for key values in a distributor some of these include honesty, reliability, commitment and reputation. Hcsuk carry all of these and many more. With a twenty plus year working relationship we now place Jo and the team at the top of our distributor list. I have no hesitation in recommending Hcsuk to any prospective manufacturer or customer and wish Jo and the team all the best for the future.

Cleenol Group Ltd

It is brilliant that we are able to ring Health Care Services and that you will go the extra mile to get us the stock we need as soon as possible.

Rykneld View Nursing Home

Just to say a huge thankyou to you and your fantastic team, and I mean that from the Heart. I have never before experienced such a person centred company.

Hampton Grange Nursing Home

What I like about working with Health Care Services is the relationship we have built up and the personal service. The homes report that you always deliver on time, the quality is consistently good and the prices competitive. Your team members are always willing to go that extra mile for us and if ever we have an issue there is always someone there to save the day.

Eastgate Care

Thanks to Jo for going over and above to get us our items in time for our special event at Buddleia House – it was very much appreciated. A massive thankyou for your continued assistance as a supplier to ourselves.

Buddleia House

We have always received excellent services from everyone at HCS at our 2 care homes, especially Lee, Jo and Phil. Always professional with a quick response time. Nothing ever seems too much trouble. Recently I had to use them personally for equipment to enable my mothers discharge from hospital. I had a response within the hour for prices and delivery came straight from the manufacturer to speed up delivery. Phil arrived at the same time to put the equipment together for us! I can’t thank them enough for putting our minds at ease and for the continued support from a personal and professional perspective. I’d recommend them to anyone requiring care equipment and its nice to support local businesses. Especially when they do such a good job!!

Orla House

I contacted HCSUK trying to find a hoist that could be operated unaided by the client. I had become very disheartened, no-one was really helpful until I spoke to Donna at HCSUK.

Donna was incredibly understanding, her professionalism raised my spirits again. Everything Donna said she would do she did, including arranging for me to speak to Andrew the salesman who like Donna was incredibly helpful, happy to bring two machines to demonstrate.

I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are good people.

Penelope Corbin

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    VAT Relief Information

    Conditions for VAT relief for disabled people

    Some of the products which can be purchased from the Hcsuk website are available for an eligible person to purchase without paying VAT on them. HM Revenue and Customs sets out the conditions when equipment for disabled people might be free of VAT and how to claim exemption from paying VAT on these products.

    Products a can only be exempt from VAT when all the following conditions are met:

    1. The customer is eligible to purchase supplies at the zero rate
    2. The goods are for the personal or domestic use of the customer
    3. The goods and services are eligible to be supplied at the zero rate

    A more detailed explanation of each of these conditions is given below, but you should visit the HM Revenue and Customs Website to fully understand the conditions

    The product must be being purchased for someone who is chronically ill or disabled.

    A person is ‘chronically sick or disabled’ if he/she is a person:

    It does not include a frail elderly person who is otherwise able-bodied or any person who is only temporarily disabled or incapacitated, such as with a broken limb.

    ‘personal or domestic’ use means that the supply must be made available specifically for the use of an eligible individual.

    You don’t have to physically buy the goods in person. If your parent, guardian or wife or husband buys the goods and services for you, then you won’t be charged VAT.

    What counts as personal or domestic use?

    Personal or domestic use means that the goods or services are supplied for your own private use, rather than for business purposes. Also, the goods or services must be just for your own use – not for use by anyone else, or chronically sick or disabled people in general. However, if you and your partner are both chronically sick or disabled and you buy goods or services for both of you to use, then you won’t have to pay VAT.

    Products which are offered for sale on this website which qualify for VAT relief to be claimed for an eligible person.

    The products which can be bought without paying VAT are:

    Only the products on our site carrying the VAT exemption price (the smaller price marked ex VAT) are eligible to be purchased this way and you must tick the box on the basket page indicating that you wish to claim VAT exemption on the items in your basket that are eligible for VAT relief.

    How to claim

    On the my basket page of this website a link to the online declaration form is provided if the basket contains a product that qualifies for VAT relief. You must tick the box to state you wish to claim VAT relief on the eligible product and complete in full the reason by which you are ‘chronically sick or disabled’ and name and address of the claimant. If possible the person making the claim should complete this form, but a family member, carer or medical professional may complete the form on the claimants behalf. To submit the claim and receive the VAT relief, click the ‘Submit VAT Relief Claim’ button before proceeding to the checkout.

    Please note that all orders submitted with a VAT relief claim form completed are checked before the order is processed.

    It is necessary to complete a separate claim form each time a qualifying product is purchased from Hcsuk.

     

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