UPS announced today an expansion of healthcare capabilities at its Polar Speed subsidiary, with a new 100,000 sq ft UK healthcare logistics facility in Birmingham.
UPS Healthcare is leveraging Polar Speed’s healthcare expertise to help address the increasing need for last-mile COVID-19 vaccine delivery and other healthcare logistics support.
The new facility will create faster and more efficient logistics support for Polar Speed customers at a time when speed and efficiency can often mean the difference between life and death.
Polar Speed is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS and part of the UPS Healthcare division.
“Polar Speed is an important part of the UPS Healthcare global logistics network,” said UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler.
“From this new facility, Polar Speed is already scheduled to deliver three million influenza vaccines each week into General Practitioner (GP) Surgeries and Community Pharmacies. This new delivery capacity is now immediately available to also support COVID-19 vaccines for distribution across the country.”
During recent winter flu seasons, Polar Speed has routinely transported more than 10 million vaccine doses each year into various National Health Service locations.
When combined with the existing 40,000 square feet of MHRA-licensed Polar Speed warehousing capacity throughout the UK, the additional size and scale of this new facility creates a seamless framework to deliver even more vaccines in response to COVID-19.
Wheeler added: “Polar Speed’s capacity, technology and services enable us to provide streamlined and flexible solutions for the healthcare industry in the UK. We are proud to be a part of the solution in defeating COVID-19.”
Polar Speed already delivers millions of vaccines in vehicles controlled at 2°C to 8°C, and the company is ready to support the UK government with immediate storage capacity.
Polar Speed’s healthcare drivers maintain on-board and remote alert systems with GPS tracking for end-to-end visibility of each delivery, and the company’s fleet maintains appropriate temperature control for each delivery, as specified by the MHRA, to hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and patients at home.
The combined hub, depot, and warehouse facility is a significant investment in the UK and will be staffed by more than 100 employees, with capacity to store 8,000 pallets at a range of temperatures from 2°C to 8°C and 15°C to 25°C, and frozen storage capacity ranging from -20°C to -80°C, allowing it to store up to 25 million vaccine doses.
