UK Firm Wins Queen's Award for Outstanding Innovation by Creating a Curtain That Kills Superbugs

Horsham, United Kingdom, May 01, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Disposable Cubicle Curtains Ltd., of which Peter Gardener is the chairman has gained the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and Innovation for the company’s revolutionary Easy-Fit disposable curtains for hospital wards. Peter Gardener contracted MRSA during a stay in a leading London Hospital. Everyone’s nightmare became a frightening reality. This traumatic experience focused his total attention on finding a way to reduce the risk of attack by superbugs.

Peter, together with his partners, Richard Burton and Tim Powell in the Horsham based company, realised that their existing disposable curtain product could be made even more effective by including in the manufacturing process a microbial biocide, in layman’s terms a highly effective anti-superbug treatment. At the same time they made the curtains fire retardant and water repellent.

Guys and St.Thomas’ Trust were the first to trial the new curtains and such was the success that the company now supplies many hospitals throughout the country, including locally Worthing, Brighton and the St. Katherines Hospice. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust had an extremely severe outbreak of C Difficile and a very high rate of MRSA. On converting to disposable curtains, things turned round dramatically and they now claim one of the lowest infection rates in the country.

The innovative product has been approved by the NHS and has helped reduce the superbug rate in dozens of hospitals. The Easy-fit disposable curtains are a fraction of the cost of conventional curtains and can be fitted to existing curtain tracks in less than 60 seconds making them economical and easy to use.

Peter Gardner was previously the MD of two companies, one of which was based in Sussex, President of various Trade Associations during his long business career and he quotes “ I was educated at a south London secondary modern school and left with no formal qualifications. I am thrilled that we are one of the smallest companies ever to have received this award”.

Mr Gardner and his colleagues will be invited to Buckingham Palace in July to receive their award.

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Notes to editors
1. We are available for interviews and photo opportunities – please contact the press contacts below to arrange.
2. A photo of our Chairman, Peter Gardner at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup where our curtains are used, is available on request.
3. DCCL, disposable cubicle curtains are a market leading product and this award has emphasised its importance and rightful place within hospitals, GP surgeries and health centres within the NHS as well as privately.
4. There are currently over 200 hospitals using disposable curtains within the UK.
5. More information on DCCL can be found on our website (just search for "disposable cubicle curtains" in Google)
6. More information on the Queen’s Award can be found on the Queen’s Award website - visit the case studies page to see a profile on DCCL.

Disposable Cubicle Curtains Ltd is based near Gatwick in West Sussex. We provide a range of disposable curtains for public and private hospitals as well as GP practices across the UK. We provide disposable curtains that are treated with a residual biocide that kills hospital borne bacteria including MRSA, E. Coli, VRE plus many more. We are constantly looking at ways we can develop our product to meet the changing needs of our customers and the NHS. We have just been awarded a 3-year agreement to supply disposable curtains to the NHS through the Supply Chain.