Clinically proven to double the rate of healing in chronic wounds, the geko™ device is now even more widely available and easy to order.

HIGH WYCOMBE, England, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UK-based medical device manufacturer Firstkind Ltd, a subsidiary of Sky Medical Technology Ltd, today announced the geko device is available through the UK NHS Supply Chain. The Supply Chain manages the sourcing, delivery and supply of healthcare products and services for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.

This listing further expands the supply channels available to the NHS when ordering the geko device - an effective, needed treatment for patients across the UK suffering from hard-to-heal wounds and means that wound care settings, NHS staff, publicly funded organisations and hospitals can now more easily purchase this highly effective therapy.

What is the geko device?

Simple to use, the geko device is a small, self-adhesive, wearable neuromuscular electro stimulator that is applied to the surface of the skin just below the knee, over the head of the fibula bone. It delivers a gentle electrical pulse, once per second to the common peroneal nerve, activating the calf and foot muscle pumps, increasing venous, arterial and microvascular flow¹, thus transporting oxygenated blood to the wound bed and edge to accelerate wound healing² - effectively replicating the effects of exercise¹.

Clinically proven

The International Wound Journal (IWJ) recently published the landmark multi-centre randomised self-controlled trial (RCT) showing the positive effects of adding geko devices to the care pathway². The study compared standard of care (SoC) with and without the geko device in patients with hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and reports an acceleration in the rate of healing by more than double in patients treated with the geko device versus SoC alone - bringing new hope to patients suffering long-standing chronic wounds.

The results also show the geko device is well tolerated with 94% patient concordance. The study adds to the body of evidence demonstrating the geko device improves both patient outcomes and quality of life, while providing a positive reduction in the environmental impact of patient care and a substantial cost saving to the NHS ^{3,4, 5, 6, 7}.

"We're delighted to be listed on the NHS Supply Chain," said Bernard Ross, CEO and Founder of Sky Medical Technology. "Our mission is to end the misery of hard-to-heal wounds and to transform patient lives. Key to this is ensuring the geko device is widely available and easy to order, allowing wound care clinicians to direct their precious time and resources to patient care."

The burden of chronic wounds

Approximately 3.8 million adults in the UK suffer with a wound⁸. Many are hard-to-heal and, despite following best practice, wound healing can be prolonged or often never achieved⁸. Patients experience pain, anxiety, altered body image and isolation, leaving many without hope of improvement, suffering wound infections and recurrence.

The financial burden of non-healing wounds on hard pressed healthcare systems is also huge, higher than for cancer and cardiovascular disease. The annual NHS cost to manage wounds is £8.3 billion annually⁸. An estimated 85% of wound care costs relate to nursing and home visits rather than the wound dressing itself⁹. Through doubling the rate of wound healing, compelling cost consequence data* shows the geko device reduces both nurse home visits and wound dressings use, releasing significant NHS cost savings and a reduced carbon footprint - alongside a corresponding increase of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

Fiona Young, Wound Therapy Business Director at Firstkind Ltd, comments: "Introducing change to clinical practice and new models of care is the greatest opportunity we have to reduce NHS costs and carbon emissions.           

"The transformative geko device delivers on both these fronts. Through its faster wound healing and empowering patients to self-care and share-their-care with family members and healthcare professionals - in the home setting - the geko device optimises wound care pathways, reducing nurse travel, products used and waste generated. Now with this wider access, through the NHS Supply Chain, geko device ease of ordering will further help NHS wound care nurses reduce the time managing wounds."

*About to be published.

- ENDS -

How to order the geko device

The geko device NHSSC ordering code is: ELZ85067. If using the NHS Supply Chain catalogue, you can find it using keywords: geko W-3.  For queries related to purchasing the geko device in the UK, please contact: geko.support@firstkindmedical.com

References

1. Tucker A, Maass A, Bain D, et al. Augmentation of venous, arterial and microvascular blood supply in the leg by isometric neuromuscular stimulation via the peroneal nerve. Int J Angiol. 2010;19(1):e31-e37
2. Bull R, et al. The impact of a new intervention for venous leg ulcers: A within-patient controlled trial. Int Wound J. 2023;1–9. DOI: 10.1111/iwj.14107.
3.  Das S et al. Int Wound J 2021; 18(2): 187-93
4.  Das S et al. J Wound Care 2021; 30(2): 151-5.
5.  Bosanquet et al. Microcirculatory Flux and Pulsatility in Arterial Leg Ulcers is Increased by Intermittent Neuromuscular Electrostimulation of the Common Peroneal Nerve. Vasc Surg 2021; 71: 308-14.
6. Harris C et al. Evaluation of a muscle pump-activating device for non-healing venous leg ulcers Int Wound J 2017; 14: 1189–98.
7. Harris C et al. Using a muscle pump activator device to stimulate healing for non–healing lower leg wounds in long–term care residents. Int Wound J 2019; 16: 266–74
8. Guest JF, Fuller GW, Vowden P. Cohort study evaluating the burden of wounds to the UK's National Health Service in 2017/2018: update from 2012/2013. BMJ Open. 2020 Dec 22;10(12):e045253. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045253. PMID:
9. Lindholm C, et al. Wound management for the 21st century: combining effectiveness and efficiency. Int Wound J. 2016 Jul; 13(Suppl 2): 5–15. Published online 2016 Jul 27. doi: 10.1111/iwj.12623.

About the geko device

The patented geko device is a wearable neuromuscular electrostimulation therapy which has been FDA cleared and NICE approved for specific applications. The size of a wrist-watch and worn at the knee, the geko device gently stimulates the common peroneal nerve activating the calf and foot muscle pumps, resulting in increased blood flow in the deep veins of the calf - at a rate equal to 60% of walking³ without a patient having to move. The blood flow volume and velocity increase prevents blood pooling and clotting, treats and prevents trauma-based and post-operative oedema and in chronic wound care improves microcirculatory blood flow, delivering oxygen to leg ulcer sites to promote wound healing: www.gekodevices.com

About Firstkind and Sky Medical Technology Ltd

Sky Medical Technology, the parent of Firstkind Ltd, is a UK-based medical devices company.  Through its innovative mechanism of neuromuscular electrostimulation, Sky has developed a non-invasive, ground-breaking technology platform, OnPulse™, embedded in its industry-leading brand, the geko device. Sky's products are tailored to different medical application areas, selling through strategic partnerships or distributors in each major clinical area. Clinical areas of focus include life threatening blood clots, complications related to swelling after orthopaedic surgery and vascular conditions related to wound healing. The goal in each pathway is to partner with healthcare professionals to improve clinical outcomes and patient care whilst saving health system resources. www.skymedtech.com

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