The success of health sector firms across the North was recognised at the 2019 Medilink North of England Healthcare Business Awards.

One of our patrons, Paxman Coolers which pioneered scalp cooling technology which now benefits cancer patients around the world, won the Export Achievement Award. The company has achieved a 67 per cent increase in international sales as well as successfully entering the US market with the installation of 287 systems in the States in 12 months – the equivalent of one third of all the equipment it has sold into the rest of the world in a 20 year period.

Another of our patrons, medical lighting company Brandon Medical was a runner-up in the export category, along with Orthoplastics in Todmorden; Better2Know in Morecambe; and King
KingKraft in Sheffield. Brandon Medical was also shortlisted for the Innovation Award.

Congratulations also to Yorkshire-based Steeper Group which took the Outstanding Achievement Award after facing a tough few years. The judges thought the Steeper’s story was incredible - on Boxing Day 2015, the company’s main manufacturing site in Leeds was devastated by floods. It recovered during the next year with performance eventually exceeding pre-flood levels. In 2017, Steeper was acquired from its private equity owners and returned to family ownership; as well as moving into new 50,000 sq ft flagship headquarters later that year. The judges said that for Steeper to maintain its customer base during this upheaval was remarkable.