Elizabeth Truss visits Thetford business

A Thetford business played host to South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss who spent time learning more about the plant.

Baxter Healthcare, which employs more than 400 people in Thetford and has invested in recent years to improve efficiency, showed Ms Truss around its Caxton Way site.

Part of the company’s investment has included new automated packing machines as well as new manufacturing lines for a broader number of products to be made on the site.

Ms Truss said: “As a major employer in the Thetford region it was great to visit the Baxter site and see exactly how products that are used in hospitals across the UK every day are made.

“Experienced engineers are in short supply for specialist companies such as Baxter and I have raised this issue before with the government. I will press the minister on apprenticeship schemes that address this shortfall by providing training and work experience over a longer period of time.”

Plant manager, John Grima said he was “delighted” to welcome Ms Truss, and added: “We were particularly pleased to hear her views on apprenticeship schemes and also on the rise in energy costs.

“Both are key issues for the UK to remain competitive in a manufacturing environment.”

The Baxter Thetford site manufactures a range of hospital products including IV fluids, irrigation and pour bottles as well as renal fluids.