General
UK HMRC offers VAT exemption on certain goods that are made for medical use.
To qualify for VAT exemption, the product, and the buyer must meet certain criteria.
- The buyer (consumer or charity) must be eligible for VAT relief under the scheme.
- HMRC classifies people eligible for VAT relief when purchasing certain products to alleviate their medical needs.
- These products must also qualify, not all products purchased by people can be VAT exempted unless they are modified for a medical reason – e.g. a fireside chair cannot be VAT exempt unless it has an adaption, such as adjusting the leg height because the person cannot lift themselves into the seat
- VAT exemption can only be offered on medical devices, such as the Youcare Aria tilt in space range, for charities or organisations that are exempt from VAT such as some departments of the NHS.
- VAT relief can only be granted by us upon satisfactory completion of the VAT exemption form found during our checkout process.
Pressure relief works in a variety of ways to replicate the fidgeting of the human body that does not have any issues affecting mobility or posture.
A variety of technologies can be employed to create the ideal environment for your skin to breath, and to emulate the fidgeting scenario described above. One well known technology is the dynamic air cell, and within this technology there are a few different types all having their own merits for your situation.
Air technology is very good for people who are very passive and require no postural influence other than to stop them moving involuntarily. We use this technology for palliative and severely immobilised patients.
For more active people, a combination or modular foam and gel type of technology may be better.
Our product specialists are suitably and extensively experienced and qualified to discuss the types of technology that suit your situation and lifestyle choices.
In simple terms, tilt in space is a method of redistributing the pressure point enforced upon the body by gravity at the point that it is “at rest”.
“Tilt in Space” is a term used in medical seating to describe the action of a specific type of proven tilt method that retains postural advantage but uses gravity and positioning to move the “centre” of gravity imposed on the body at any given time. In short the true tilt in space technology that we use in our products means that the body can tilt within the footprint of the product, i.e. tilt in the space of the product – tilt-in-space!
Moving the centre of gravity is a tried and tested method of shifting the effects of gravity, even if only slightly every few hours so that the damage to the skin tissue can be minimised and so, the pressure is “redistributed”. Sometimes adding air or gel redistribution to tilt in space in certain pressure points, along with an anti-shear cover is a proven way to minimise pressure risk between tilting actions, therefore offering a fantastic solution for pressure relief.
Take a look at our Axiom or FormAlign ranges to see what products we can help you with.
Burnett FAQ
Both the hand and foot pumps are compatible for the whole of our Burnett range however we would recommend using the hand pump for smaller sized supports and the foot pump for larger sized supports.
All items are sold individually as each client has bespoke requirements therefore we provide different cover options, pumps and additional items if needed.
We have a UK wide network of Healthcare Product Consultants that are available Monday-Friday to visit you for a free no obligation joint assessment, to ensure the best solution is provided for your client.
Please note, if the product is to be used in water, we can only offer a dry assessment due to hygiene reasons.
We are able to offer a special bespoke design service when our standard range requires adaptation. We can design and manufacture a bespoke product to suit your requirements. This will require arranging one of our free no obligation joint assessments with one of our Healthcare Product Consultants who will be able to assess your needs, measure and design a suitable support.
The Burnett’s are a vacuum system, so they are rigid when used, so they have no pressure reliving properties. However because the cushion molds exactly to the shape of the individual there is effective dissipation of their weight.
The system maintains its shape at room temperature almost indefinitely with a simple weekly maintenance regime to ensure that the client has the most support possible.
With frequent changes of pressure, shape and spasms, air may need extracting more frequently.
If a Burnett is not maintaining its vacuum for 24 hours, it will need to be repaired.
Yes, you can use a Burnett virtually anywhere. Virgin Airlines supply Burnett Vacuum Supports on their flights, if you are looking to purchase one for a flight we recommend that you contact the airline that you are flying with in advance, to check that it will be ok to use and bring this onto their flight.
All of our supports are manufactured in a sealed hygienic material and can be used for more than one user.
The polyurethane (blue) material can be wiped down with anti-bacterial wipes or spray whilst all the covers that we provide are machine washable at 30oc.
The support can be showered in clean water and washed with a dilute solution of washing detergent (washing up liquid). Diluted disinfectants can also be used for hygiene with special care applied to the suction cups and seams. In hard water areas it is advisable to de-scale the suction cups quarterly by removing them from the support and soaking them in de-scaling solution.
The Burnett molds like plasticine for form a mold to the seating medium and client.
Letting air into the system lets the beads flow to the contours of the client and make small adjustments.
Once complete, simply applying a pump and extracting the air will produce a supportive mold in seconds.
The system is so adaptive that is can change to a new profile at a moment’s notice.
If the Burnett is no longer suiting the client’s needs perhaps due to its size, before purchasing a different size, we would recommend arranging another free joint visit so we can assess to see if another support in our range is suitable or design a bespoke support.
