News from Euro Commercials - Mercedes-Benz vans keep the wheels of the NHS turning in Wales

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Date: 5 June 2017

[Mercedes-Benz vans - NHS Wales Shared Services (2)]


Mercedes-Benz vans keep the wheels of the NHS turning in Wales


Hospitals, clinics, GP practices and other facilities throughout Wales are now receiving deliveries of vital pathology, medicines, blood, organs, medical records and equipment, as well as other more routine but nevertheless essential materials, from a new fleet of 30 Mercedes-Benz vans.



The vehicles have been procured by NHS Wales Health Courier Services (HCS), the specialist transport department that provides the wheels for the country's health services. HCS is a division of NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP), which provides a comprehensive range of support functions and services for all of NHS Wales.



NWSSP was founded in 2011 to support NHS Wales in the improvement of patient care by reducing bureaucracy, removing artificial internal boundaries, and channelling more money into front-line services through greater efficiency.


Supplied by South Wales Dealer Euro Commercials, most of the new vans are Long-bodied Vito 114 BlueTECs, of which three are fitted with blue lights for emergency assignments. This model is powered by an advanced 2.1-litre diesel engine, which offers impressive economy of up to 44.1 mpg in the combined cycle.



The line-up also includes three small Citan 109 CDIs, two of which also have blue lights, and eight larger Sprinter 314 CDIs - a pair of vans and six box-bodied chassis cabs with tail-lifts. Underlining NWSSP's commitment to securing best value, the Sprinters were all pre-owned and acquired through the Mercedes-Benz Approved Used programme.



Euro Commercials is a long-established, trusted supplier to NWSSP, and Mercedes-Benz commands the lion's share of its fleet of more than 120 vehicles. Among them are 18 trucks at 7.5- and 15-tonnes gvw. NWSSP took delivery from Dawsonrentals recently of 11 new Mercedes-Benz Atego 15-tonners for its supply chain operation - based at warehouses in Denbigh and Bridgend, they are fitted with Lawrence David box bodies and Dhollandia tail-lifts.



Tony Chatfield, NWSSP's Head of Operations - Health Courier Service, explained: "We deliver and collect up to 120,000 items of mail and medical records each week, as well as annually transporting in excess of eight million samples of clinical pathology and blood, or blood and pharmaceutical products, in accordance with Transport of Dangerous Goods Regulations, and providing emergency transport based on clinical need.



"Ours is a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year operation. Between them, our vans and large goods vehicles in supply chain and laundry cover well in excess of two-and-a-half million miles per year. Given the vital nature of much of our work, and the need to support front-line services, we simply cannot afford unplanned vehicle downtime."



He continued: "As a publicly-funded body we adhere to a robust tendering and acquisition process, and have consistently found over the years that Mercedes-Benz vehicles offer a combination of outstanding reliability and highly competitive 'whole life' operating costs."



The 'blue light' response service which NWSSP provides on behalf of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust covers emergency blood bank and pathology requests, and specialist clinical logistics that do not require the attendance of a clinician. This frees up 999 ambulances for patient-facing accident and emergency duties.



The van fleet has additionally been fitted for the first time with removable Euroengel compressor refrigeration containers supplied by German specialist Eberspacher and its Swindon-based partner DBS. As a result, NWSSP is able to provide a fully-compliant, temperature-controlled environment for clinical pathology and pharmacy consignments without having to commission costly full vehicle conversions.



"These robust boxes allow us to maintain and report on the temperature environment of items from the point of collection at a primary or acute centre location, to delivery at a pathology laboratory," reported Mr Chatfield. "Wales will be the first country in the world to provide this level of service on a national basis."



Mr Chatfield added: "We enjoy a very good relationship with the Euro Commercials team, who provide a highly customer-focused service. The smaller vans are maintained in our own NHS workshops, with our partners at Welsh Ambulance Service. However, like our Mercedes-Benz and FUSO Canter trucks, some of the bigger, Luton-bodied Sprinters tend to be looked after either by Euro or by its fellow Mercedes-Benz Dealer in North Wales."



Most of the new vans have replaced Mercedes-Benz models which have been stood down after providing reliable service for up to seven years. Mr Chatfield concluded: "With these latest investments in Mercedes-Benz vehicles NWSSP is once again demonstrating its commitment to invest in the finest equipment, and thereby ensure that its service compares with the best in the world."



http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/955/home



[Mercedes-Benz vans - NHS Wales Shared Services (26)]



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