Introducing Richard Littlehales and GM Scientific Europe
Tuesday 28 October 2014, 3:47PM
By Media PA
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GM Scientific European’s operations are headed up by Richard Littlehales.
Based in Leeds in the United Kingdom, Richard Littlehales is a City of London-trained Chartered Accountant with vast experience in international business.
Former companies he has worked for include giants like the engineering group ABB listed on the Swiss, US and Swedish stock exchanges as well as start-up and early stage businesses in areas of new technology.
In the past few years Littlehales has concentrated on emerging medical technology in haemostasis, infection control and wound care.
So what attracted Littlehales to SureStop®?
“I was introduced to Leigh Mckenzie by a mutual friend who knew of my experience in haemostasis and wound care and I was pleased to be offered the chance to look at this new range of products. When I started to look at the potential of SureStop®, I just had to get involved,” Littlehales said.
Littlehales has now built a strong European team and credits the efforts and expertise of Hannah Read and Jon Cohen in particular.
“Hannah organises everything, from our ISO 9001 accreditation in record time through to product shipments and marketing literature. I worked with Jon years ago in a very successful pharmacy venture and so went straight to him for help in markets where he has great insight – pharma, retail, primary care, home care. Together we are rolling out a strategy for the National Health Service – possibly the world’s biggest single healthcare client,” Littlehales said.
GM Scientific Europe covers 35 countries comprising all of the European Union nations together with some others that sit in the continental Europe region. Quite a logistical challenge no doubt?
“Our territory embraces multiple cultures and over 30 languages. All part of the challenge!” says Littlehales who is actively seeking local distribution partners to help bring SureStop® to the medical, dental, military, consumer, sports and veterinary markets across the continent.
Why is Littlehales so positive about the Surestop products?
“Ultimately, the validity of the products can only really be verified by clinicians. Every clinician I take the product to is impressed. If the doctors like the product, it has to be good!”
Littlehales is working with clinicians to develop Randomised Clinical Trials in tonsillectomy and epistaxis (nose bleeds). Littlehales cites these forthcoming trials as great examples of why SureStop® is such a powerful offering to clinicians.
“The clinician trialling SureStop® in tonsillectomy has good reason to be “very positive” about the product. When the tonsils are removed in surgery, SureStop® Haemostatic Gauze stops the bleeding in around two minutes. This means the patient does not require cauterization in surgery, saving the hospital money and saving the patient from discomfort. The standard procedure results in a re-treatment rate of up to 10% for re-bleeding, infection or patient discomfort. With SureStop® we have not had a single case of re-treatment.
With epistaxis, the SureStop® nasal dressings can stop bleeding within minutes allowing the patient to be discharged quickly and in comfort. This has a terrific upside to the hospital where epistaxis patients often have to spend a night in hospital before they can be discharged”.
Does Richard enjoy the challenge?
“Of course! Bringing a new product range to market that will save the healthcare provider money and offer the patient a better outcome – that is what it is all about. Last week I received a letter from a Maxillofacial specialist who has been using our products. You know you are on to a good thing when you receive such positive feedback, including:
“I will be recommending that we use SureStop® in our hospital. I feel that all dentists should use SureStop®. The product’s relative affordability and ease of use will certainly be of great value to all dental practitioners”