Modern Slavery

MODERN SLAVERY

“The Diomed Group is committed to ensuring that the risk of modern slavery is absent from its supply chain. All staff are expected to report any potential or actual instances of slavery, and Senior Management are tasked to act on these reports.”

Minesh Patel – Chief Executive Officer, The Diomed Group

The Diomed Group's Organisational Structure

Diomed Developments is an independent, privately owned company. The majority of the group’s business is conducted in the UK. The Diomed group’s infrastructure comprises the research, development, manufacture, marketing and distribution of medicines and healthcare products primarily intended for the treatment of a variety of skin disorders, as well as other conditions which can be treated by applied medication. The Diomed group includes Dermal Laboratories, Diomed Developments and Aeropak (Chemical Products).

The Diomed group's main operating sites are located at:
Hitchin, Hertfordshire – Head office functions, product development and marketing.
Kempston, Bedford – Warehousing & distribution, purchasing & supply, pilot production and ancillary offices.
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – Manufacturing.

The Diomed Group's Supply Chain

The Diomed group operates with a vertically integrated supply chain which, in the main, encompasses the purchase of raw materials and packaging (starting materials), the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and the warehousing and distribution of the resultant finished products, primarily in the UK.

Due Diligence

The Diomed group will take steps to ensure slavery is absent from its supply chain, including, if necessary, the termination of the business relationship with any supplier unable or unwilling to support the Diomed group’s policy.

The Diomed group has a zero-tolerance policy to slavery and an expectation that all suppliers and manufacturers in its supply chain will comply with its values.

Sourcing of starting materials is targeted on UK and European based suppliers, many of whom are suppliers of long standing to the Diomed group.

As a minimum, the Diomed group expects its tier one suppliers to have in place suitable and effective anti-slavery policies. The written agreements with the Diomed group’s supplier base, such as Service Level Agreements and Technical Agreements, will include wording to this effect, where relevant.

Where the materials sourced are the subject of pharmaceutical industry licensing regulations, the Diomed group operates a robust audit regime with suppliers, and where the materials are defined as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, this audit regime also extends to the relevant manufacturers used by these suppliers. From the initial supplier audit questionnaire, to on site audits, modern day slavery is a prominent point in the scope. Further awareness training is planned to be rolled out to company auditors to aid detection of modern slavery in our supply chain.

It is recognised that the initial supply of chemical ingredients and base materials that are ultimately converted into raw materials for use in the Diomed group’s products, may well start life in areas of the world that could be deemed to be at high risk of having slavery present, such as the Far East and the Indian sub-continent. The Diomed group is reviewing its supply base, using a risk-based approach to identify suppliers, or elements of its supply chain, in high-risk geographical areas and industries, to identify areas of potential concern for further investigation.

Minesh Patel, Chief Executive Officer, The Diomed Group. December 2023