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Meet our Industry Team

25 years of Urgo Medical and 15 years of Urgo Medical Hosiery

This year, we are celebrating Urgo Medical’s 25th Anniversary. As we celebrate this milestone, we are taking the opportunity to recognise our Industry Team, who are the hidden faces behind our Compression Hosiery Range. This team has been critical to our success in manufacturing our AltiMed compression hosiery range, acquired in 2010, and components of our bandaging systems in Shepshed, Leicestershire.

Meet the Team 

We are proud of the individuals who work hard to ensure high quality and industry-leading turnaround of our Hosiery. They share our passion for healing people, which is reflected in the care that goes into their day-to-day operations.  

We asked Nic, Eric, Jane and Neil to share their experience working in our Hosiery Factory over the last decades. 

Nic Deacon, Quality Team Leader

How long have you been at Urgo Medical? 

25 years 

 

Describe your role

I am a quality team leader, and have worked here for 25 years. My duties are testing Altiform and Preventex. I am quite passionate about Preventex because that started when I first started at Urgo. I am also so passionate about training my new staff, as I am confident in their growth and development of the business. 

 

What do you love about working at Urgo Medical? 

I’ve liked working here because of the family environment, with a wonderful work ethic, and everyone is super passionate about what we do. Everyone puts some extra TLC into what they do.

Eric Peat, Hosiery Knitter

How long have you been at Urgo Medical? 

10 years 

 

Describe your role

I look after the machines for Made-to-Measure hosiery, that make one sock at a time. When we get our orders in, I make the orders to measure.

 

What do you love about working at Urgo Medical? 

I have always worked in Hosiery, and since I came to Urgo 10 years ago I have loved it and the people. It helps when you come to work and feel like one family, everyone gets along with each other. 

Jane Wright, Hosiery Packer 

How long have you been at Urgo Medical? 

24 years 

 

Describe your role

I work on Preventex, for patients that have had operations in Hospital. They’re nice and comfortable to wear – we’ve all tried them here. I put them in a packet for them to be dispatched to hospitals.

 

What do you love about working at Urgo Medical? 

I like my job, the people are lovely, they’re very nice and kind.

Neil Batey, Supply Chain Manager 

How long have you been at Urgo Medical? 

20 years 

 

Describe your role

I have been at Urgo for many years, I am responsible for buying all the raw materials we require to run the factory. I liaise with suppliers and work closely with my colleagues.

 

What do you love about working at Urgo Medical? 

The thing I enjoy about working at Urgo is fulfilling my role to help other people fulfil their roles. I care about people and like to see them succeed.

Looking Ahead

As we look ahead, the team remains committed to helping clinicians and their patients. With the dedication and expertise of our Industry team, we are confident in our ability to continue to meet the fast-paced demands of our customers without compromising on quality. 

We are excited to see what the next 15 years bring, with our local team at the heart of our hosiery. 

2024 Review

In January, Urgo Medical UK&I came together in Marrakech to start the new year. As we look back on 2024, it is clear that this was a year of growth, innovation and partnership. We had the privilege of partnering with clinicians across the UK and Ireland, to heal wounds and improve patients’ quality of life. Before we begin 2025, and celebrate Urgo Medical’s 25th anniversary, let’s recap the key moments that defined 2024.

Events and Education

In 2024, we had the opportunity to attend industry-leading events across the UK&I. Our team was thrilled to be part of these events and had a fantastic time speaking to over 7,000 delegates at our stands and symposia. We loved connecting with clinicians who share our commitment to challenging the status quo and improving patient care. EWMA was one of the highlights of 2024. Having this event in London gave us an incredible opportunity to connect with our colleagues and delegates from across Europe.

Wound Care Today
March 2024

EWMA
May 2024

WoundsUK
Nov 2024

Throughout the year, we also organised specialised events. In March we held our Leg Ulcer Days, where we trained healthcare professionals in the management and treatment of patients suffering with venous leg ulcers. At our Evidence for Excellence events, we invited key decision makers to discuss topics from our Formulary Best Practice Statement (WoundsUK, 2023). We are thrilled to hear that attendees enjoyed these events, and will continue to build clinician skills and confidence through our events in 2025.
Group photo Dublin

Leg Ulcer Days

EVIDENCE FOR EXCELLENCE

Evidence for Excellence

We were also incredibly fortunate to host our 3rd annual Summer School in July, in partnership with the University of Huddersfield. This event brought together healthcare professionals who were keen to challenge practice for positive change. Our expert speakers did a fantastic job delivering a detailed and engaging agenda, that left us feeling inspired and empowered to make a difference. 

Summer School
July 2024

Our Partnerships

In 2024, Urgo Medical UK&I continued to support clinicians and patients through our dedicated partnerships.
Urgo Medical Innovation Awards

Innovation Awards

In November we held our Innovation Award Ceremony. We are pleased to have awarded funding to Natasha Cashmore and Jamie Shore (Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS) for their impactful Self-Care in Community project.

Legs Matter Week

Legs Matter Week

We proudly supported Legs Matter Week - an initiative that bring the wound care community together. We had the chance to raise awareness about the importance of leg health and wound prevention.

Yorkshire 3 Peaks

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge
(DEBRA and Rainbows)

We also raised funds for DEBRA and Rainbows, through our memorable Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge. Our team walked over 25 miles, to raise a total of £5,105 for patients affected by serious conditions. This challenging feat was only possible thanks to our dedicated team.

Our Team

Behind everything that Urgo Medical UK&I has achieved in 2024, is our amazing team. We have welcomed new members to the team and celebrated long serving employees. Throughout the year we have recognised team members’ successes through our Value Awards and Top Performance awards. We are incredibly proud of our team and their continued hard work and commitment.
Award Winners Photo

Looking ahead at 2025

2024 has been a year of exciting progress and achievements, and we are thankful for everyone who has been part of this journey. We look forward to our upcoming events and continued commitment to our partnerships in 2025.
  1. Sharpe, A., Dowsett, C., Wylie, D., Douglas, D., Bowen, G., Robinson, H., Fletcher, J., Tickle, J., Phillips, K., Atkin, L., Goodeve, M., Murphy, N., Elwell, R., & Fumarola, S. Development of a wound care formulary using clinical evidence and ensuring effective change management. Wounds UK, 2023.

Celebrating our Women in Wound Care

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating our wonderful women in wound care by highlighting and sharing their experiences.

We asked Lorraine, Angie, Emma, and Rachel about what drives them, their time at Urgo Medical, and more.

Lorraine Grothier

Medical Affairs Director

Time with Urgo: 7 years

 

 

Q) What do you love most about your role?

A) Being able to empower and support clinicians to drive and standardise excellence in wound care.

 

Q) What part of Urgo Medical’s mission is most important to you?
A) ‘Because we care’ – It is fundamental to our purpose.

 

Q) What advice would you give to your younger self?
A) Don’t accept what others believe is your path, be brave and make your own journey.

 

Q) Who is the woman that you would most want to have a drink with?
A) My mother – she made me who I am.

Angie Farmer

Clinical Specialist

Time with Urgo: 5 years

 

 

Q) What do you love most about your role?

A) The variety of people I meet, being able to share knowledge and experiences to offer the best treatment and support for clinicians and patients, and seeing the outcomes of the treatments and the change it makes.

 

Q) What part of Urgo Medical’s mission is most important to you?
A) Healing people, improving their quality of life, showing care and understanding to patient’s needs.

 

Q) What advice would you give to your younger self?
A) Don’t wait to complete your ‘bucket’ list, and don’t fret the small stuff, its not as bad as you think! And wear Sunscreen!

 

Q) Who is the woman that you would most want to have a drink with?
A) My Mum. She showed me strength, determination and love in the hardest times of her life, raised 3 children and battled a disease for many years. Throughout that she still showed all the above and never faltered. She also loved a decent brew!

Emma Taylor

Industrial Operations Manager

Time with Urgo: 3 years

 

Q) What do you love most about your role?

A) Every day is different so this role never gets boring! The most rewarding moments are when our customers visit our UK manufacturing site, I love seeing my Industry Team colleagues interact with customers on the shop floor and show them how much care goes into the manufacture of our bandages and medical hosiery.

 

Q) What part of Urgo Medical’s mission is most important to you?
A) Healing people – the knowledge that our products work together to reduce healing times and ensure that people with wounds can get back to their usual activities more quickly is a huge motivator for me.

 

Q) What advice would you give to your younger self?
A) Be bold and believe in yourself.
 
Q) Who is the woman that you would most want to have a drink with?
A) This is a tough one and a split decision between Baroness Martha Lane-Fox of Soho and Patti Snowdon-James. 

As co-founder of lastminute.com, Baroness Lane-Fox made it big in tech at a time that it was unusual to see women doing so, she went on to become the youngest female member of the house of lords in 2013 as well as becoming chancellor of the Open University. She continues to advocate for digital literacy, women’s rights and education. I was lucky enough to hear Baroness Lane-Fox speak at my Open University graduation ceremony.

Patti Snwdon-James started a small chain of pharmacies (including one in Shepshed, the home of Urgo UK&I) whilst raising a young family, she was a formidable and dynamic woman, she worked in imaginative ways to disrupt the market and ensure that she secured strategically important sites and contracts when competing against large pharmacy chains. Patti was uncompromising in her belief in putting the customer experience first, my first customer-facing role was as a Saturday Assistant in one of Patti’s pharmacies, this “customer first” attitude fed my drive for problem-solving that still endures today.

Rachel Winterton

Regional Business Manager

Time with Urgo: 8 years

 

Q) What do you love most about your role?

A) My team!  I am very lucky to have the most amazing, passionate team, who are so focused on supporting clinicians to help improve the lives of patients.

 

Q) What part of Urgo Medical’s mission is most important to you?
A) Healing People – to support clinicians with innovative treatments that contribute to improving patients’ lives.  We hear so often about patients whose lives have been deeply affected from having a wound, and when you’re told a patient has healed and how their life has changed for the better, it is so rewarding!

 

Q) What advice would you give to your younger self?
A) Embrace the risk of being judged.

 

Q) Who is the woman that you would most want to have a drink with?
A) My mum, the strongest woman I know, who has always encouraged me to be myself and taught me that with the right mindset, anything can be achieved.

2023 review

January conference 2024

We recently had our first Urgo Medical UK & I conference of 2024. Every sales conference allows us to come together as a team to prepare for the year ahead and plan how our specialist teams will support more clinicians and patients. It was fantastic to be able to look ahead to the rest of 2024 and get excited about the work that we will do. As well as looking ahead, this was also an important time for us to reflect on 2023, review some of the highlights, and celebrate our amazing team.

Our 2023 Highlights

Wound Care Today
March 2023

Wound Care Today was our first national conference of 2023 and it was amazing to speak to so many clinicians about their patients and what support we can provide as an industry partner. It's always fantastic to see the passion that people have to heal people with wounds

Urgo Leg Ulcer days

Leg Ulcer Days
March 2023

In March we held two Leg Ulcer Days; one in Belfast, and one in Dublin. We had Kerry Wardick, Gillain Carnduff, Madeleine Flanagan, Sarah Gardner and Dr Caroline Dowsett sharing education and best practice to achieve better healing outcomes for patients with venous leg ulcers.

NICE recommendation

NICE recommendation renewed
April 2023

In January 2019 NICE recommended the UrgoStart Plus Treatment range. In April 2023, NICE renewed this recommendation stating that “UrgoStart is recommended as a cost saving option to treat diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers."

Urgo DEBRA member's weekend 2023

Debra Member's Weekend
May 2023

We have a long standing relationship with DEBRA and were happy to continue supporting them in 2023. We attended DEBRA member's weekend as platinum sponsors. It was great to be part of a fun-filled day for people of different ages, from children to adults, being surrounded by families and speaking with them to learn about their experiences of EB.

Urgo Medical Summer school 2023

Urgo Medical Summer School
July 2023

This July we held the 2nd Annual Urgo Medical summer school. This event brought together passionate clinicians to discuss and learn more about best practice in wound care. We heard from many great speakers who lead inspiring sessions. It was great to see clinicians come together and engage in meaningful discussions about how we can work together to improve wound care for the better.

Urgo GO75

GO75
July 2023

In 2023 the NHS celebrated it's 75th Birthday and we were privileged to get involved in the celebrations with many clinicians from all over the country. It was really special to take some time to recognise the incredible NHS and all of the people who work everyday to care for patients.

Long Service celebrations 2024

Long Service Celebration
August 2023

We are so proud of our whole team at Urgo Medical, and it was fantastic to be able to bring some of our longest serving employess together to celebrate their time with company and recognise all of their valuable hard work over the years

Wounds UK urgo 2023

Wounds UK
November 2023

We attended Wounds UK again in 2023 and it is always an incredible few days, full of important conversations about how we can better help people with wounds. This year we saw the launch of a new best practice statement all about how we can reduce unwarranted variation in wound care through inclusive, evidence-based formulary development.

Innovation award winners

Innovation Awards
November 2023

We are passionate about supporting projects that bring innovation and improvements in patient care to the NHS. This year we were able to support three projects with our Innovation Awards. Congratulations to all of the award winners, we are so excited to see the difference that these projects will make.

1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), UrgoStart for treating leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg42, April 2023

Meet our clinical team- Polly

At Urgo Medical, we are extremely lucky to have a large clinical team who offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in wound care.

Meet one of our clinical specialists, Polly Cox. 

‘I started my adventure into nursing 30 years ago at the Frances Harrison School of Nursing in Guildford. As a student nurse I enjoyed working on the surgical wards where I saw patients be admitted with a problem, fixed by surgery and then supported by us through to recovery and discharge home. However, my favourite placements were with the District Nurses where caring for patients was a very different environment to that of a hospital and, as nurses, we were guests in their homes. I loved that I got to know patients over a long period of time and was involved in the continuity of their care.

I started my nursing career on a gynaecology and urology ward in Chertsey, Surrey and then moved to Bristol to work on a gastrointestinal and colorectal surgical ward at Southmead Hospital. This was where I was under the guidance of Ward Sister Judy Vickery who was strict and had firm routines which even the patients quickly adapted to. She taught me excellent nursing practice that has remained with me for my whole career. In 2000 I achieved my goal of becoming a District Nurse and 2 years later completed my degree and specialist qualification in District Nursing. Wound care has always been my passion; I love being presented with a complex wound and working with the patient and multi-disciplinary team to improve the symptoms of the wound and move it towards healing. I still get a buzz when I review a difficult-to-manage wound and see the improvements my work has made. I knew wound care was the direction that I wanted my career to go in and whilst working as a District Nurse Team Manager I was lucky enough to be part of the team which set up the first Lindsay Leg Club in our area. This was an invaluable experience which allowed me to work with the local community to support patients in an alternative way to primary care. It reignited my desire to become a specialist in lower limb and wound care so I went on to work as clinical lead for the Complex Leg Wound Service in Gloucestershire, and then as Tissue Viability Lead Nurse in Bristol, before joining Urgo Medical last year.

For me, nursing is a privilege. We see people at their most vulnerable times and have the honour of building a relationship with them to support them through this. We treat patients holistically and work together with many colleagues of different professionals to try to get the best outcomes. It’s the little things that we do as nurses that often have the most impact for our patients, such as washing their legs when they have been in wet dressings and bandages, or just taking the time to listen to their life stories or concerns. I can’t believe that I have been a nurse now for 30 years and I never stopped learning and developing as a practitioner.’ 

Polly Cox, Clinical Specialist

Summer School 2023

Urgo Medical Summer School 2023 graduation photo

This July we held the 2nd Annual Urgo Medical summer school.

This event brought together passionate clinicians to discuss and learn more about best practice in wound care and how we can all work towards better outcomes for patients.

We had a packed schedule for the day, with inspiring sessions from many fantastic speakers.

The day started off with our chair, Dr Karen Ousey, speaking about how the TVLC online capability framework can help eliminate unwarranted variation in care and why evidence-based practice is so important. This was followed by a panel discussion where Dr Caroline Dowsett, Dawn Douglas and Hollie Robinson shared they experiences of how evidence-based practice can be brought in to real life.

Continuing to address topics linked to the key competencies in the TVLC online competency framework, we heard from Michelle Goodeve and Andrew Douglas about how Diabetic foot ulcer care is everyone’s responsibility and Leanne Atkin then spoke about value of clinical pathways and how they can become a key part of safe and equitable care.

We were honoured to hear from so many great speakers and inspiring sessions but it wasn’t just a day for listening. As we progressed into the afternoon, Kelly Phillips and Dr Caroline Dowsett facilitated a fantastic workshop, designed to get our delegates thinking about a quality improvement project that they could undertake to make a difference in their area.

Our final two sessions of the day saw Barbara Conway speaking about the impact of pharmacotherapy on wound healing, an area sometimes neglected, and Heidi Sandoz sharing an inspiring story about transformational leadership in practice. This really highlighted the need for strong leaders within healthcare to drive change based on evidence, best practice and a desire to improve outcomes for patients.

It’s always great to see clinicians come together and engage in meaningful discussions about how we can work together to improve wound care for the better. Thank you to everyone who attended and to all our amazing speakers.

Summer school 2023 exhibition
Summer school room
Summer school exhibition
Urgo medical summer school audience
Summer school exhibition
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GO75 Celebrations

This July the NHS is celebrating its 75th Birthday. Every day Urgo Medical staff work to support NHS clinicians in their efforts to heal people’s wounds. We see the amazing things NHS employees do day-in day-out and this summer we’re excited to be celebrating with fantastic NHS teams all over the country!

Supporting textiles students

Jo Webster (Urgo Customer Services Manager) handing over the dummies to Programme Administrator, Amy Page-Ward.

At Urgo Medical UK&I we feel very connected to and proud of our local area. Nearly two-thirds of our head office and industry employees live within the local area, so it’s important to us that we find ways in which we can help support the people and organisations around us.

After some tailor’s dummies were used in a team-building activity in our January sales conference, we thought that there would be no better way to give them a second lease of life than donating them to support students with their textile studies.

We donated these to our neighbours at the School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University earlier this year and they were gratefully received.

We hope the students find this donation useful and would love to welcome them for a visit of our hosiery factory in Shepshed in the future so that they can see industrial textile manufacturing first-hand!

DEBRA member’s weekend 2023

On Saturday 13 May we had the pleasure of attending DEBRA Members Weekend to support an incredible national charity for people living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

It was such a great experience to be part of a fun-filled day for people of different ages, from children to adults, being surrounded by families and speaking with them to learn about their experiences of EB. Each individual has their own unique story and yet they remain so strong, positive and embrace life as much as they can. It is inspiring.

As the brand manager for UrgoTul, hearing about how our products can improve people’s lives is by far the best part of my job. There was one particular family I spoke to who were there with their daughter. They showed me photos of her as a baby where she was completely covered in blisters. To then see her on the day and be told that UrgoTul was the dressing that changed everything for her was such a proud moment.

Ben Harrison, Clinical Specialist in the South East region “The day, I found, brought a lot of emotions, particularly speaking as a dad to a 2-year-old. It was hard to see the effect that EB can have on people’s lives, especially the children.  However, there was a joy to the conference as like-minded people gathered together to share their experiences; and to see the children having fun with the games that were put on for them was amazing. It was a privilege to be there.”

I think it is amazing that DEBRA put on an event like this each year. Considering there are around 5,000 people in the UK who have EB, a relatively unknown condition, I can only imagine how isolating it must feel. This annual event is special in that it brings everyone together and just by being there, you really sense that community feel.

As well as their annual Member’s Weekend, DEBRA are currently running their ‘A Life Free of Pain’ appeal. Graeme Souness, ex-international footballer, TV pundit and DEBRA Vice President, will be taking to the water to swim the English Channel to raise funds for this great cause. If you’d like to support the campaign you can donate via the Fundraising page. Find out why supporting DEBRA and those living with EB means so much to Graeme here.

I’m really pleased we were able to partner with DEBRA as a Member’s Weekend Sponsor and help make a difference to the lives of people with EB.

–Kaajal Thakker, UrgoTul Brand manager

International Nurses’ Day 2023

Happy International Nurses’ Day!
 
Today we’re so happy to be celebrating the incredible work that all of those in the nursing profession do every single day to change the lives of patients and their loved ones.
 
At Urgo Medical we are lucky to have a team of qualified nurses working with us who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and experience with others to help them to make a difference in the lives of their patients. 
 
Meet some of the fantastic nurses on our team below and read about why they love what they do!

Gemma Sawers, Clinical Trainer

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

This quote has always resonated with me as nurse, I want to make a difference to the way people feel. Being in my role as a clinical trainer with Urgo Medical, I am able to share my knowledge and skills with colleagues across the South West, giving them the confidence in lower limb care. Enabling them to make a difference to lower limb care patients receive. Be it with fellow healthcare professionals and patients – as a nurse I want to make a difference.

Amy Morris, Clinical Trainer

I joke that I think I became a nurse 90% due to 24 hours in A&E…. But soon in realised it was 90% the patients that kept you there. A&E was tough but so rewarding- helping people, relatives, carers and children at some of the toughest times in their lives. It was a place of unsurprising laughter at times, solid team comradery and the most strength I’d ever seen. Nursing isn’t easy – at times you have to have hard conversations, advocate for your patient, work around choices you may not make yourself – all to support and guide the patient in their care, hoping always for the best outcome.

I have always felt nursing is a real privilege, which was solidified during a time when I needed nurses too. The small acts of kindness they show, the time they take to listen and the motivating nudge they give you to dig deep to keep going. All of these at a vulnerable time meant so much.

Polly Cox, Clinical Specialist

For me nursing is a privilege. We see people at their most vulnerable times and have the honour of building a relationship with them to support them through this. We treat patients holistically and work together with many colleagues of different professions to try to get the best outcome for our patients. It’s the little things that we do as nurses that often have the most impact for patients such as washing their legs when they have been in wet dressings and bandages, or just taking the time to listen to their life stories or concerns. I can’t believe that I have been a nurse now for 30 years and I never stopped learning and developing as a practitioner.

Lisa Marsden, Clinical Trainer

Never, did I expect what a privilege being a Nurse would be, when I embarked on this career 30 years ago .… During this time, I have laughed hard and cried just as hard, hugged and been hugged, held the hand of patients during the hardest times in their lives and celebrated recoveries. Nursing has given me so much, in terms of kindness and human understanding. It is a honour to be able to make a difference to people, in subtle or grand ways, in acts or empowering patients and families with knowledge, that will assist with decision making during challenging and confusing times.