Home Manufacturing & Industry Newcastle pharmaceutical firm secures ‘better deal’ for NHS

Newcastle pharmaceutical firm secures ‘better deal’ for NHS

A Newcastle pharmaceutical firm say they’re giving patients “a better deal” after their silicone gel designed to eliminate scars was approved on the NHS.

Nourisil MD uses a unique formula of five different silicones and vitamin E to tackle skin lesions from surgery, trauma and burns.

It has been brought to the UK market by Fagron UK, based in Ouseburn.

The gel will be available under prescription from February after being approved under the NHS tariff scheme.


Bosses say the product has been offered at half the price of their competitors as they strive to save health chiefs cash.

Peter Batty, general manager of Fagron UK, who have developed the gel for use in the UK, said: “A big part of what we do is to try and give the NHS a better deal.

“As part of this, we have decided to put Nourisil MD on the NHS tariff at almost half the price of the most prescribed competitor. As we manufacture the products ourselves it means we are able to pass on savings where we can.

Nourisil MD is also extremely quick drying compared with other silicone scar gels, which is important to patients”

Nourisil MD is a Fagron product and is manufactured in Holland but is distributed and sold from Fagron UK’s headquarters in Newcastle.

Over the past 12 months the company has made tens of thousands of pounds of investment to adapt Nourisil MD for the UK market.

A strong part of the company ethos is keeping investment in the local economy, with a large majority of the cash being pumped into North East businesses.

Nourisil MD is also being sold online without prescription as part of an expanding market in aesthetic medicine. Bosses say they hope to tap into the growing market, eventually making it the number one silicone scar gel in the country.

Peter said: “We believe the size of the scar gel market is around £2.5million a year, and we’re aiming to be the front runners in this.

“When we first started to adapt Nourisil we didn’t envision going down the prescription route, but we took it to specialist burns units in hospitals and the feedback from nurses and patients was really great.

“We have now identified three key markets for us. The first is the cosmetic surgery market, the second the caesarean section market, and the third for people who have skin scarring caused by trauma, including burns.

“For people who have small operations in hospital, maybe for something like having a cancerous mole removed, the likelihood is they will not have a silicone scar gel prescribed to them on the NHS because it is not seen as a need, as far as the NHS is concerned.

“But for people who are concerned about the appearance of their scar but aren’t given a prescription, Nourisil is available to buy online as a medical device.”

The gel includes polysiloxanes and tocopheryl acetate and works on all skin types by forming an invisible layer that hydrates and protects scars on all areas of the body, including the face.

Its ultra-light, self-drying properties help to flatten, soften and smooth scars, relieving itching and skin discomfort.

Treatment usually lasts between 60 and 90 days, but longer maybe needed for larger or older scars.

Other treatments for scarring include silicone gel sheeting, which has been used in scar therapy for over 30 years.

They work by flattening, softening and fading red and raised scars, and the sheet is cut to fit the scar.