Clients of Randox Health are benefiting from “full-body MoTs” by providing blood samples in state-of-the-art mobile clinics based on Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.
The company’s phlebotomists use their strikingly styled vehicles to visit workplaces, gyms, private homes, and other locations, and provide an ultra-convenient service which can extend lives.
Randox Health is committed to identifying and preventing illness by detecting small changes in blood. Its patented diagnostic testing technology is capable of identifying up to 350 individual ‘biomarkers’ in a single sample.
Randox Health operates clinics in Belfast, Liverpool and London, and introduced its first mobile unit in 2017. Such has been the demand from health-conscious clients throughout Ireland, that it has now added a second.
Based in Liverpool, the newer vehicle is from the latest-generation Sprinter range launched last year, which combines unprecedented levels of cab quality and comfort, with 4G wi-fi connectivity, and an industry-leading armoury of active and passive safety features.
Like its predecessor, the 3.5-tonne 314 CDI L2 chassis cab was supplied by Intercounty Truck & Van, one of two members of the Mercedes-Benz Vans retail network whose parent company is Ballyvesey Holdings, of Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
Both vehicles’ purpose-designed bodies are the work of specialist coachbuilder Annard, of Loughall, County Armagh. Features include ‘pop out’ sections that address Randox Health’s requirement for additional floor space.
With their aerodynamic enhancements, colour-coded door mirrors and bumpers, and alloy wheels, the Sprinters are real head-turners, and have attracted enthusiastic feedback from clients.
Explaining the rationale behind Randox Health’s decision to launch its mobile clinic service, Operations Manager Lauren Donaghy said: “Increasing demand from corporate clients and private individuals for our pioneering health checks meant we needed to come up with a solution which ensured they were accessible to all.
“Our mobile service was the answer, and by providing men and women, young and old, with what effectively amount to full-body MoTs, we’re now transforming the delivery of healthcare in the UK and Ireland.”
She continued: “We provide a world-leading service, so naturally we were keen to partner with a world-leading automotive brand able to provide vehicles that offer the highest standards of reliability, comfort and safety.
“The name Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with quality, ingenuity and performance, so we knew it would be the perfect fit for our equally innovative and ambitious company. Ballyvesey Holdings, meanwhile, has worked with Mercedes-Benz for years, and came highly recommended.
“With their bespoke design, the vehicles provide a perfect combination of phlebotomy functionality and patient comfort, while maintaining the look and feel of a high-end clinic room,” added Lauren Donaghy.
“People are able to book an appointment at a place of their choosing, and being able to undergo their health check in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz means the experience is first-class from start to finish.”
Mercedes-Benz Vans UK has been doing its bit to highlight issues of health and wellbeing affecting the UK’s community of van drivers, operators and owners, through its Business Barometer programme. In its latest bulletin, the manufacturer focused on poor quality diets and the apparent reluctance of many to visit a doctor, while previous instalments have covered everything from hydration in hot weather, to the effects of air pollution, and the high stress levels induced by a shortage of parking provision.
The Sprinter 314 CDI is powered by a fuel-efficient 2.1-litre common rail turbodiesel engine – although this model is now also available with front-wheel drive, as with its stablemate Randox Health’s new van transmits its 143 hp output via the rear wheels.
Like all Mercedes-Benz vans, Randox Health’s vehicles are backed by three-year, unlimited mileage warranties and came with free MobiloVan cover, which includes round-the-clock emergency roadside assistance.
