Cosmetic Surgery Van Advertisement Causes A Ruckus

Red-blooded male drivers had better keep their wits about them if they get too close to the McIndoe Surgical Centre’s new Mercedes van – because its eye-catching livery may well prove a distraction.

Both sides and the rear doors of the Sprinter 313CDI feature striking images of an attractive young model, whose obvious charms are now helping to promote the McIndoe Centre as a leader in the fast-growing field of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.

A totally self-contained, specialist private hospital, the McIndoe Surgical Centre stands in the grounds of the NHS Queen Victoria Hospital, in East Grinstead. It is named after the father of plastic surgery Sir Archibald McIndoe, who is renowned for his pioneering treatment on the same site of airmen burned and injured during the Second World War.

The McIndoe Surgical Centre offers a wide range of services, including plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery maxillofacial surgery, cataract surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery and paediatric surgery. It has 65 shareholders, the majority of them consultants and medical staff working at the Queen Victoria Hospital and other NHS Trusts in the region. Prominent among their number is Peter Arnstein, one of the world’s top plastic surgeons, who has also starred, with colleague John Pereira, on Living TV’s popular series Extreme Makeover.

The McIndoe Surgical Centre is managed by the BMI Healthcare Group – and that’s where its new Mercedes, which was supplied by Crawley dealer Rossetts Commercials, comes in.

An integral part of the hospital is its Sterile Services Department, which specialises in cleaning instruments used in surgery. It is a facility that many other hospitals do not have, so the McIndoe Centre has begun marketing this service to other hospitals within the BMI Group. First to take advantage was The Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor, which awarded the McIndoe team a contract to clean its own instruments and now receives regular daily visits from the Mercedes Sprinter.

Katy Muir, Marketing Manager for the McIndoe Surgical Centre, explains: “The crucial job of sterilising surgical instruments is a science in its own right. For example, not only can our specialists tell you exactly when each piece of equipment was cleaned, they can also tell you what type of detergent, and precisely how much of it, was used.” She continues: “We wanted a vehicle that would be comfortable, safe and reliable, as well as exuding an image of quality. The Sprinter ticked all of the boxes in terms of its specification and, of course, as everybody knows, vans don’t come any better than a Mercedes-Benz.”

Launched last year, the new-generation Mercedes Sprinter combines dynamic good looks, ‘bullet-proof’ build quality, comprehensive specification and ingenious technology. Highlights of the range include best-in-class side-loading door widths, outstanding ergonomics and comfort, a powerful and clean CDI diesel engine line-up and a comprehensive armoury of safety features, including an advanced new version of the remarkable ESP® anti-skid system called Adaptive.