Smith+Nephew , the global medical technology business, today confirms that it is contracting with the UK government to build OxVent ventilators.

The OxVent ventilator results from a collaboration of scientists, clinicians and medical technology manufacturers from the University of Oxford, King’s College London and Smith+Nephew. The ventilator has been designed to allow for large scale production.

The OxVent ventilator is currently under review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) and the order is subject to the design gaining authorisation.

Smith+Nephew is supporting the assessment process and preparing for manufacture to begin immediately following authorisation from MHRA. The OxVent ventilator will be made at Smith+Nephew’s Advanced Wound Management facility in Hull, UK.

Roland Diggelmann, Chief Executive Officer of Smith+Nephew, said:

“We are proud to be able to support this vital effort and help meet the UK Government’s ventilator challenge to ensure the NHS is equipped for treating patients with COVID-19. I want to thank all our employees who are working long hours to make this happen, while also ensuring continued production of the important medical products already manufactured at our Hull site to support other patients. Our Purpose is Life Unlimited and I can think of no greater expression of this in practice.”

About Smith+Nephew

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business that exists to restore people’s bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose ‘Life Unlimited’. Our 17,500+ employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients’ lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global franchises of Orthopaedics, Advanced Wound Management and Sports Medicine & ENT.

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in more than 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $5.1 billion in 2019. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms ‘Group’ and ‘Smith+Nephew’ are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.