The **Next Generation Bathing** (NGB) system combines a number of technologies to deliver a completely disruptive solution to cleaning a person in a care environment making the process safer in a Covid-19 world. The **main innovation** is integrating four processes already developed for applications in other sectors. Washing care home residents and people who require care holds significant risk to both the individuals and the carer. **Covid-19 made an existing problem dangerous** as currently assisted bathing involves close contact and the carer putting their hands into the dirty bath water that may contain faeces and urine to clean the patient. The likelihood of contamination of carer or patient during current bathing is high, **53% of Covid-19 patients present a positive faecal PCR test\[15,16\]** and 82% are still positive up to 11 days after their respiratory test is negative\[16,17\]. This **challenge is urgent** as during the Covid-19 crisis to 12/6/20 there have been 19,394 resident deaths \[4\], as the main risk group is the elderly, and 7% of care home staff testing positive \[5\]: \* We must improve the carers job because we have a deficit of 77,000 care workers \[8\] and 40% staff turnover \* Changes post-Brexit will deter the overseas workers the care industry currently relies upon \* Job satisfaction and safety is important to recruit UK workers \* The over 85 years population will grow by 30% from 1.64 million to 2.13 million by 2030 \[1\]. The Next Generation Bathing system will remove or significantly reduce detergent from the cleaning process which will support the **environment, decarbonisation and the circular economy**. Detergent accounts for 27% of the 105,000tonnes Phosporous/year discharged in UK\[19\]. The project will be completed under the full control of Astor-Bannerman but augmenting our market leading 28 years of experience developing new products for assisted bathing. Astor-Bannerman brings the VOC, bath development, system integration and the route to market. Astor-Bannerman already has **market reach as the market leader** in social services bathing (estimated 30% market share) and our subsidiary has between 45% and 20% market share in care homes in different European countries. Our secondary market is export and we already have distributors in the USA and Australia and we are engaged with UKTI for export. This **design builds upon a trial Astor-Bannerman completed in 2019** which demonstrated effectiveness but a need to add more energy to agitate the dirt on the skin and also a need to remove the scum from the surface during bathing and will deliver a **demonstrator**. Next Generation Bathing system supports the ambition for Astor-Bannerman to be the expert, leading company in assisted bathing. This grant enables a significant development in the technical knowledge of the company to respond to Covid and accelerate the long-term vision for Astor-Bannerman to be the expert, leading company in assisted bathing.

Hygienic Handles We want to replace handles that your hands touch, because these are sites for infection to be spread. Coronavirus can survive on a handle for 3 to 9 days\*. Our devices will operate doors etc but interface with other parts of our body where we are less likely to transmit viral infection between people eg. using your shoe. This will increase public confidence by reducing the level of cross-infection as it enables everyone to move around and interact with the world without the need to put your hand onto a handle, or similar item, that is likely to have been touched by other people before you. Extension for impact is requested to drive the commercialisation and marketing of the handles designed and proven during the first project phase to ensure they are implemented and reduce the Covid-19 risk within the UK quickly. Initial targeting will be at universities and schools as this will deliver the maximum impact to current UK infection rates.