handl acquires Suffolk-based clinical products group

Chorley-based investment portfolio management company handl Group has acquired the IPRS Group of clinical products specialists.

IPRS, which stands for Injury, Prevention and Rehabilitation Services, consists of four brands which combined to generate £17m in revenues in the most recent financial year.

The divisions are IPRS Health, which specialises in physiotherapy, mental health and wellbeing for the insurance, corporate, NHS and occupational health sectors, IPRS Mediquipe which distributes Biodex functional assessment, rehabilitation equipment and training to elite sports, universities and the NHS, IPRS Aeromed a supplier of paramedic led, medical repatriation and other specialist services, and PFAS, an independent provider of quality medical assessments delivered in house using specialist health practitioners.

All trade will continue under existing brands and all 300 IPRS Group employees, including the senior management team, will stay with the company. Martyn Jackson will remain as CEO, reporting to handl Group CEO Graham Pulford (pictured above.)

The acquisition of the Suffolk-based company deal is the biggest yet completed by handl Group. 

Graham Pulford said: "This is a significant growth opportunity that will give us additional scale and new distribution channels in private medical insurance (PMI), as well as elite sport, an IPRS Group specialism. It will also further cement the relationships handl Group currently has with the UK insurance industry.

"It is the biggest acquisition handl Group has completed to date, and we intend to support IPRS Group’s ambitious growth plans through additional investment, access to the skilled people at handl and also the acceleration of their already advanced digital offerings.

"The Group already has a proven model of growth and is poised to further enhance its market presence following a number of contract wins this year, both renewals and new business. There will also be a definite opportunity to sell the unique services of IPRS to existing handl customers."