Sustainability
ISO 14068-1 compliant
As a prominent medical device manufacturer in the UK, we recognise our pivotal role in shaping a healthier future for our planet and its inhabitants. Our sustainability strategy aims to not only reduce our environmental impact but also to positively influence our products, communities and the lives we touch. Grounded in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our principles guide us to develop safe, effective products that not only bolster our business but also contribute to the sustainable success of our community and customers.
Our Ethos
Our People
Our Planet
Our Products
At Richardson Healthcare, we believe our responsibilities extend beyond simply delivering high-performance products and services to healthcare providers and patients in the UK.
We take a holistic approach to sustainability that considers our products, our people and our planet. These considerations have inspired the most important of our company values: the commitment to protect the rights, wellbeing and dignity of people at every stage of our supply chain. These values are enacted through the policies we follow, the standards we uphold and the campaigns we run.
Our policies and standards are reviewed regularly to ensure their compliance with national and international standards.
Click on each of our challenges below to discover our achievements and ongoing progress:
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Company Value: Employee Safety
Our Standards:
- Health and Safety Policy
- First aid and fire marshal-certified employees
- St. John Ambulance AED-certified
- Manual Handling Policy
How have these standards been achieved?
- Mandatory health and safety training for all employees resulted in 0 workplace accidents in 2024-25.
- Regular testing of emergency systems and up-to-date PAT testing for all appliances
- Designated first aider and fire marshal conduct regular safety refresher meetings and monthly fire drills.
Company Value: Marketing responsibility
Our Standards:
- Privacy Policy
- Accurate labelling
- Cyber Essentials Certification
- Medical Industry Accredited (MIA)
- LSI National Credentialing Register
- Bribery and Corruption Policy
How have these standards been achieved?
- 100% of marketing and sales team members are trained in GDPR.
- All labelling compliant with ISO 15223-1:2021.
- Robust and validated protocols in place to protect company data.
- All field staff are required to be MIA-certified and LSI-registered.
- Our Bribery and Corruption Policy is compliant with the UK’s Bribery Act of 2010.
Company Value: Sourcing with care
Our Standards:
- Modern Slavery Policy
- Labour Standards Assurance System (LSAS)
- Social Audits
How have these standards been achieved?
- 100% of company employees receive Modern Slavery Policy training.
- Completed Modern Slavery Assessment, achieving over 90%.
- 100% suppliers are ISO 13485:2016 credited.
- 100% of our suppliers are verified by a Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit or hold a Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certificate.
Company Value: Quality and innovation
Our Standards:
- UKCA mark
- UK MDR Certificate
- Quality Management System
- Rigorous Risk Assessments
- Complaint Mitigation
- Collaborative Working
How have these standards been achieved?
- Up-to-date UKCA mark and UK MDR certification indicating that all products comply with UK regulations.
- Quality Management System is compliant with ISO 13485:2016.
- 100% of our products are tested for safety following ISO 11737-2:2020.
- All products undergo risk assessments in accordance with ISO 14971:2019.
- The percentage of complaintes to total sales in 2025 was 0.00001%.
- Regular innovation panels with leading clinicians to improve our research and development processes.
Company Value: Equal opportunities
Our Standards:
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Disabled Confident Committed Employer
- Mental Health in the Workplace Pledge
How have these standards been achieved?
- 50/50 gender balance between men and women in senior management.
- 50% ethnic minority background representation at senior management level.
- Improved accessibility of office premises for employees with disabilities.
Company Value: Sustainability
Our Standards:
- ISO 14068-1: Carbon Neutrality
- Carbon Reduction Plan
- Environmental Procurement Policy
- Sustainability Statement
- Evergreen Assessment
How have these standards been achieved?
- Achieved ISO 14068-1 certification for two years in a row. Previously achieved PAS 2060 certification in Carbon Neutrality for two consecutive years.
- Updated our Carbon Reduction Plan annually since reporting year 2022.
- Appointed a Sustainability Liaison to spearhead our decarbonisation efforts.
- Completed the NHS Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment for the third year in a row.
- ‘Plastic-free Office’ initiative implemented, which eliminated all single-use plastic from company premises.
- ‘Hire Local’ ethos adopted by the company.
At Richardson Healthcare, we know that an inclusive culture is the key to long-term success.
An inclusive and diverse workforce ensures that fresh ideas and perspectives are always at the table. That is why we have always prioritised equal opportunities at all company levels. We are proud to have established a fantastic team of people from diverse backgrounds, races, genders and ages.
Our people strategy is simple:
- Attract the best talent.
- Foster growth and personal development.
- Support our local community.
- Promote values of fairness and inclusivity across our supply chain.
We recognise that the standards we set not only affect us, but can have positive and far-reaching implications for local and international communities. As such, we will continue to work with our business partners, suppliers and contractors to promote these values and ethical standards across our entire supply chain.
Click on each of our challenges below to discover our achievements and ongoing progress:
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Our target: Diverse and healthy culture
Our Progress:
- Inclusive recruitment process ensures fair, inclusive and accessible hiring procedures.
- Maintained 50/50 gender balance in senior management positions.
- Prioritise office accessibility.
Our target: Encourage new ideas and innovation
Our Progress:
- Annual training appraisals for all employees to learn new skills to enhance their job performance.
- Bi-monthly internal training meetings for whole company.
- External trianing is promoted to foster broad skills development.
- Implementation of monthly ‘Collaboration Circles’, where cross-department employees share key project information, share insights and offer support to improve communication and outcomes.
Our target: Engaged community partner
Our Progress:
- All head office employees live within a 20m radius of our company headquarters.
- Donated medical devices to key causes nationally and internationally.
Our planet is facing unprecedented environmental challenges caused by climate change. The shift in global temperature has given rise to natural disasters, poor air quality, unsafe drinking water and contaminated food.
Healthcare has a large climate footprint, accounting for 4.4% of all global emissions. [1] This figure is comparable to the carbon footprint of the NHS, which comprises 4% of the UK’s total emissions. [2] These emissions can be attributed to the delivery of care in both acute and community settings, supplier manufacturing, transportation, building energy, prescriptions and waste.
As a supplier to the largest healthcare organisation in the world, we are working with our key business partners to reduce our direct and indirect emissions, implement more sustainable building and logistics practices, and extend the life cycle of our products. We aim to create a stronger, more resilient and greener operational infrastructure that will guarantee quality care without damaging ecosystems or perpetuating health inequalities.
Click on each of our challenges below to discover our achievements and ongoing progress:
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Challenge: Carbon Footprint
Our Progress:
- 54% reduction in employee commuting.
- Achieved a 33% total emissions reduction in our fourth reporting year.
Challenge: Waste
Our Progress:
- 0% of company waste was incinerated due to improved forecasting and inventory control.
- Working with our manugacturing partners to reduce plastic across our product range.
- Developed a bespoke education programme targeting appropriate use behaviours, positioning this as a key driver in our waste reduction strategy.
Challenge: Natural Resource Use
Our Progress:
- 10% of our suppliers have developed a water reuse system, resulting in a 50% increase in water reuse during the manufacturing process.
- Digitised over 80% of our company processes by shifting to cloud-based services.
Challenge: Logistics
Our Progress:
- 17% reduction in downstream transportation and distribution to NHS partners following the relocation of warehousing facilities.
- 36% reduction in upstream shipments due to enhanced planning.
- Implemented a Green Travel Policy for all company employees.
The research, development and manufacture of our products has always taken a patient-first approach. This approach is a balancing act that considers quality, ease of use in clinical settings, cost-effectiveness and good patient outcomes.
Despite the resource-heavy nature of some of our key areas of clinical concern (i.e., wound care and urology), sustainability has not, until recently, been at the forefront of clinical decisions during the delivery of care.
In response to this challenge, we have adopted a three-fold approach to our products:
- Optimising the design of existing products in order to maximise benefits while minimising the use of unsustainable materials and waste.
- Incorporating sustainable principles and practices into the development of new products from the beginning.
- Expanding our educational resources and services for both our products and a range of clinical indications. This is undertaken with the intention of reducing the unnecessary use of resources and limiting waste through improved clinical pathways and practice.
Click on each of our challenges below to discover our achievements and ongoing progress:
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Challenge: Plastic
Our Progress:
- A national sustainability initiative aimed at minimising plastic consumption and promoting the reuse of plastic packaging.
- Worked with manufacturers to reduce plastic across our product portfolio.
Challenge: Raw Materials
Our Progress:
- 30% of our product line packaging is now FSC-certified.
Challenge: Product Lifecycles
Our Progress:
- Continued to convert unavoidable waste into RDF.