Meet The Team.
Katie Houghton
Managing Director
CorrMed founder Katie Houghton has extensive experience in the international healthcare market, most prominently in the area of infection prevention and control. In 2000, Katie partnered with Public Health Laboratory Service Wales to conduct market-led research and deliver InControl infection control software into NHS England, Scotland and Ireland. Katie went on to redevelop InControl to meet modern interoperability standards, launching the new infection control surveillance software as ICNet International. The software was ultimately distributed globally and supported infection management in a day-to-day hospital environment as well as community care basis. The company was ultimately bought out by Baxter Healthcare, who employed Katie for several years to continue driving its success, and the same core platform has gone on to play an instrumental role in monitoring infection spread during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Katie ultimately left Baxter Healthcare to return to her first love of entrepreneurship and innovation, partnering with Brian Arnott to develop and launch a range of medical and vaccine bags for the clinical sector. Through her longstanding work in infection control, Katie identified an opportunity to develop bags which prioritise infection control and minimise spread in their own right, and which are also durable and fit-for-purpose in the sector. From there, Katie has continued to be the driving force for the CorrMed brand, identifying the latest in pioneering technology and solutions for infection control, and bringing them to the UK market. This includes AIRsteril air purification systems which kill 99% of airborne and surface bacteria; and Blue Mirror AI PPE Buddy which helps to eliminate errors in the donning and doffing of PPE in hospitals. CorrMed is the chosen UK distributor for both products, thanks to Katie’s extensive and demonstrable sector experience.
Fiona Gardner
Commercial Manager
Fiona is our Commercial Manager, bringing a wealth of medical sector experience to her role here at CorrMed. She is key to supporting our customers, working to offer her support and guidance on our products, and to maintain our relationships with our customers.
At the start of her career, Fiona was originally employed by Managing Director Katie in her previous business, ICNet International Limited. ICNet developed and deployed clinical surveillance software, recording real-time data in clinical environments, and integrating analytics to create actionable insights into infection control, patient protection, and sector benchmarking. It was here that Fiona kickstarted her career, delivering the global launch of ICNet’s infection surveillance and antibiotic monitoring system. The software launch gave Fiona an exceptional grounding in the infection prevention sector, engaging with sector professionals to provide real-time solutions to infection control challenges.
Leaving ICNet International after several years, Fiona went on to enhance her skills in sales and relationship management. This included a few years in recruitment for the health and social care sector, broadening her understanding of the roles and responsibilities of individuals on the front line. Now, Fiona has come full circle, moving into Katie’s current business CorrMed, bringing her in-depth expertise on several aspects of the industry, to better support our clients. She has a wealth of knowledge on our medical bags and vaccine bags, particularly their cold chain and infection control principals, as well as an unrivalled understanding of infection control software, enabling her to demonstrate and communicate the relevance of the Blue Mirror AI PPE buddy system.
Brian Arnott
Chief Designer
With more than 40 years spent designing and manufacturing sector specific specialist bags, our Chief Designer Brian is a key contributor to advancing our medical and vaccine bag range, ensuring that they are fit-for-purpose, durable, cost-effective, and the best available on the market.
Brian originally learned his trade locally, in Worcestershire, helping to revitalise Gordon’s Garments of Alcester with their protective clothing range. In 1979, he launched his own business – Praybourne – producing everything from specialist fishing tackle carry system, to bags for the British Olympic Ski Team, eventually pioneering covers for the new Amstrad computers, and then laptop bags for all the major manufacturers. He did this for many years with great success, before deciding he wanted to return to a more hands on role designing.
Brian has always mentored and coached talented individuals. In 1992 some of his own management team went on to launch Openhouse medical bags. Always the inventor and entrepreneur, Brian launched Portability in August 1996. Portability specialised in design solutions for major retailers including Curry, Comet and Hughes. Ultimately though, Brian returned to his first love of bag design, producing a range of medical bags before joining CorrMed to further these designs in the field.
Brian and his understudy Anthony continue to advance the relevance, durability and appropriateness of all our bags, which are in active use in communities, hospitals and clinics, and were approved for use in NHS Nightingale during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.