Transfer of Chichester business to USA would be ‘very sad ending’

Philips Respironics will close its Chichester Business Park site by December 2021, which will impact ‘approximately 50’ respiratory drug delivery positions.

The business’ operations will be transferred to existing Philips sites based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Read more here

The company started as Medic-Aid Ltd in 1977, based in Birdham, before moving to Pagham by January 1982.

A breathing, Whisperflow CPAP, device first designed and produced at the Tangmere site nearly 30 years ago was re-engineered to help save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

The original lung ventilation device was designed, developed and sold by Medic-Aid Ltd in Pagham — founded in 1977 by David House who led the company for its first 18 years.

The system was developed in the early 1990’s by a team led by the firm’s head of engineering John Denyer and was sold in a number of countries around the world.

The Tangmere team’s I-neb Advance was also runner up in the Core77 Design Awards last year. This was used in the Synairgen clinical studies and the results published in the Lancet in November.

On the news that the business would be moving to the USA, Mr House said: “It’s a sad day and it seems like life going full circle.

“Philips purchased Respironics and now appear to be re-shoring this business back to the USA and selling their products in the UK through a distributer which is how it all started.

“By the time they leave it will be 44 years since I founded that company in Birdham.”

Mr Denyer agreed that it would be a ‘very sad ending’ to a local business, which oversaw inventions that ‘proved critical in the fight against COVID’.

He added: “The result is more skilled UK workers losing their jobs and the intellectual property they have developed over many years going oversea.

“Lets hope that with the shortage of UK warehouse space the facility at Tangmere will find a new owner who will generate new employment opportunties.”