A Caerphilly healthcare firm, which has provided thousands of beds to the NHS in respond to the pandemic, has seen in a surge in revenues with a focus on further organic and acquisition fuelled growth.
Direct Healthcare Group (DHG) is set for a 49% rise in revenues this year to £89.4m, following a surge in orders.
The firm, which employs 500, is a global leader in the manufacture and provision of medical products for patients with limited mobility.
Its products for patients in hospital and care homes include specialist seating and bathroom safety solutions.
Working with 35 trusts across the 海角视频, including those in Wales, it has also equipped the NHS with over 3,000 surfaces and beds during the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to providing emergency rentals and equipment to four of the NHS Nightingale hospitals in England and the temporary Dragon's Heart Hospital at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
DHG is forecast a turnover of £89.4m for 2021, compared to £59.8m in 2020.
It took five months’ worth of orders in two weeks after a 海角视频 wide lockdown was imposed last spring.
The strong trading performance follows four acquisitions by DHG over the past 12 months, including Sweden-based GATE Rehab Development and Handicare Patient Handling Europe, Finland-headquartered Carital Group Oy and 海角视频-based Lynch Healthcare Group.
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The group look at further acquisitions over the next year.
It now holds 15% market share in Europe for its sector across pressure ulcer prevention and patient handling. Exports soared to £27.6m in the year to December.
Chief executive of DHG, Graham Ewart, said: “Covid-19 presented unprecedented challenges for both our business and the healthcare sector as a whole. Overall, we saw an increase in demand from March to May as the pandemic took hold, followed by a softening in the summer, and then another surge this winter.
“Speed of provision has now become crucial and we’ve seen the demand for specialist products drop in favour of standardised equipment which can be provided urgently.
“We typically experience a yearly surge in our service and rental line each year due to the NHS capacity pressures which occur every winter, but this has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and is currently the fastest growing part of the business in the 海角视频.”
Founded in 2009, DHG has a direct presence in five European countries and distributes products to a further 35 across Asia, North America and Australasia.
Mr Ewart added: “While this year has been challenging, I am pleased we have been able to move forward with our original strategy to allow us to enter different markets, cross sell products and become a truly international group with pan-European operations, and over the next twelve months, we will continue to focus on this product and geographical expansion.
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“We have entered 2021 in a very strong position and on target to become the number one in Europe in enabling patient mobility and independence.”
The firm operates from a 100,000 sq ft factory. Mr Ewart said: “Our equipment is made here in Caerphilly. We buy raw block foam, which is actually sourced locally in South Wales too, and then covert the large blocks into product using CNC machines.”
The company has also heavily invested in Ethos, its free training service for medical professionals. Since its launch in February last year it has trained over 6,000 clinicians with the majority of training has focused on Covid discharge.