Zenova named as official NHS supplier

(Sharecast News) - Fire safety business Zenova said on Wednesday that it has been appointed as an official supplier to the NHS for its FX range of extinguishers, with an initial order already being shipped. Zenova said it had secured its first order to two hospitals in the Epsom and St Helier Trust Hospital group in Surrey and has already delivered "a small batch" of FX500 units for use in sensitive areas of the hospitals.

The AIM-listed group said this "breakthrough order" comes as a result of a decision to deploy the FX500 to protect against lithium-ion battery fires in critical care theatres. The FX 500 will be deployed in the bio-medical equipment workshops and the medical equipment library locations in two hospitals within the Trust based in Surrey.

Zenova highlighted that, alongside its sub-distributor, it was appointed "permanent, official suppliers" to the NHS.

Chief executive Thomas Melchior said: "This is a major contract win for Zenova and with the largest single institution in the UK, the NHS. This breakthrough for the group comes as a result of a long period of their testing of our FX extinguishers, as well as the growing concerns around lithium-ion battery fires.

"Given the prevalence of equipment powered by such batteries in NHS facilities, this increased awareness will inevitably result in significant sales to follow in the months to come. We are pleased to be able to provide our proven solution against this safety risk in such a mission-critical environment. As an official supplier to the NHS now, we expect Zenova to be able to leverage this status in the broader marketplace where the NHS is rightly seen has having industry-leading performance standards."

As of 1120 BST, Zenova shares had surged 23.33% to 2.22p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com