Healthcare 21 acquires e-commerce business to launch digital arm

The privately-owned healthcare business Healthcare 21 (HC21), which has its UK headquarters in Leeds, has acquired healthcare e-commerce business Medscope Limited.

This acquisition forms part of a growth strategy that will see HC21 Group surpass €70m sales in 2017 as it expands its operations into multiple sales platforms, both in e-commerce and traditional sales across Germany, Austria, Ireland and the UK.

Medscope operates two websites which are e-commerce platforms marketing and selling a large range of medical devices and healthcare products predominantly into the primary care sector.

Medscope’s customers include GPs, GP practices, care homes, industry workplaces, emergency services, hospitals and patients.

David Plotts, business development director for HC21, said: “As an ambitious organisation we are looking to work with our partners to further expand into primary healthcare through the internet and e-commerce.

“With Medscope Ltd, which operates two successful e-commerce websites, predominantly serving the primary care sector and possessing an already strong presence on Amazon, we are confident that this acquisition is a significant step to achieving that.

“We are looking to improve the buying process for both Healthcare Professionals in the NHS who are constantly under time and budget constraints as well as making healthcare more accessible for the increasingly knowledgeable end user who is looking for more autonomy over their healthcare.

“By providing a digital based service with an extremely knowledgeable customer service and sales team, we will decrease the purchasing time and costs involved whilst maintaining our established customer relationships and high levels of personalised service.”

David added: “The two websites have strong visibility and we will be looking to invest in both these online platforms as well as looking to acquire more complementary e-commerce type businesses to further consolidate our ambitions in the sector and offer a full range of products and services which are clearly defined into market segments.

“We are evolving as a business and looking to tap into the skills, intellectual property and knowledge of technology businesses in healthcare.”