Phil Davies of Hospital Innovations - OPN Interview

Hospital Innovations was founded in Cardiff in 2008 and bases its rapid growth on innovative products, experience and positive customer service.

OPN went along to the Hospital Innovations’ offices in the Principality to talk with its new Managing Director, Phil Davies.

OPN: Phil, you are well known to a great many surgeons through your time with Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedic, DePuy International and Plus Orthopaedics. What prompted you to form Hospital Innovations

PD: I had thoroughly absorbing and rewarding careers with all those companies and will be eternally grateful for the experience in sales and marketing they gave me, including wide exposure to the development of global organisations. It is true to say that I will miss many of the friends I made over almost 20 years. However, there was a part of me which made me think I could make a significant contribution to the Orthopaedic world by applying the sum of my knowledge to the development of a smaller company.

My overall philosophy is simple; deliver quality products with a high level of support, back-up and training. It is a wonderful opportunity to grow my own business, have some autonomy and be able to influence my future. Over the last year we have been forging a strong presence in many parts of the world especially the UK and this has given us good profile and new customers. My team and I intend to maintain this momentum

OPN: So how are you going to convince UK surgeons, who we know are a conservative lot, to change their habits and start using Hospital Innovations?

PD: Well, we are not starting from scratch. We actually have some of the UK’s best-known centres using our products. They have all promised their support in telling colleagues in the wider world about their experiences with our products at the various symposia we shall be attending and sponsoring. One thing I have learned above all else in my career is that I would far rather a surgeon made an informed decision based on both what colleagues have to say, and through quality published data on clinical outcomes.

It’s true that I know a great many surgeons and I enjoy their company. But when it comes down to choosing products, they know their own minds and would not touch a product until they were convinced of its pedigree, and nor should they.

OPN: I understand that some of your colleagues from previous companies have decided to join you at Hospital Innovations.

PD: Yes, we have been fortunate to be joined by Kevin Edwards as our UK Sales and Marketing Director and by several other senior managers who will provide essential assistance in planning our business. We have a wealth of experience behind us and a tangible energy resulting from the freedom we have to make decisions quickly. The many decades of our combined experience allow us to have an intuitive view of where we are going without having to get bogged down with detailed business plans and strategy meetings.

OPN: We have heard that your product line-up is impressive for such a young company. Could you enlighten us further?

PD: Some of our products have been sold in the UK for several years and are easily recognisable by many clinicians. . They include EOS foot reconstruction products, Innomed Orthopaedic instruments and RTI Allograft Tissue products. These products are provided with the emphasis on quality and in-service training for hospital staff. Training will be a cornerstone of our company’s credo for the future. These established products have been supplemented this year with the addition of several other product ranges.

Menaflex is a new meniscus implant, which has just been launched into the UK. 5 year clinical results have been published in the JBJS Peer Review Journal and are very encouraging.

We have launched OrthADAPT for augmenting, reconstructing and repairing damaged tendons, especially rotator cuff tears and Achilles tendon ruptures. Unite is a new Collagen dressing for the treatment of chronic ulcers. Both Orth ADAPT and Unite are Type 1 collagen products, which are able to resist enzymatic degredation during the early stages of healing. This is of great significance.

Monovisc is a new viscosupplementation product, which comprises a single injection to those patients suffering with osteoarthritis. It can be used in any synovial joint.

We also provide hip, knee replacements and rehabilitation products. More information on our products and our partner companies can be found at our web site www.hospitalinnovations.com

OPN: And can you guarantee a satisfactory supply of products?

PD: Yes we can. Our logistics system maintains an optimum level of UK stock, ready for overnight dispatch. Urgent non-stock items can be supplied directly from our suppliers to any UK hospital, usually within 24 hours. In fact, our supply system is extremely reliable and matches any I have seen elsewhere, monitoring demand and feeding forecasts directly into manufacturing schedules and warehousing levels.