Medical transport giant acquires industrial unit to deliver major NHS contract
England’s largest independent provider of non-emergency patient transport services has acquired a large industrial unit in Shrewsbury from which it is servicing a major NHS contract in Shropshire and mid-Wales.
E-zec Medical Transport Services won the £4.8m contract and had only eight weeks to mobilise operations before the new role started so instructed property consultancy Vail Williams to source a suitable new base.
The detached 20,621 sq ft Unit 13 in Knights Way on Battlefield Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury, was located by Vail Williams’ Birmingham Regional Managing Partner Carole Taylor.
With surveyors Towler Shaw Roberts acting for the private investment company freeholder, agreement was quickly reached for E-zec to move in on a licence basis to prepare the site before the 10-year lease at a quoting rent of £120,000 a year began.
E-zec’s contract serving Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and North Powys was awarded by the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group and will the provision of 100,000 patient journeys each year across Shropshire and Powys.
This non-emergency service – separate to the 999 ambulance service – is for patients registered with a local GP and deemed eligible, based on national criteria, such as having a medical condition or healthcare need that prevents them from using other forms of transport.
Twenty jobs have been created as a result, along with 75 staff from the previous contract supplier being transitioned and trained.
Vail Williams has long worked with specialist private equity investment firm Cairngorm Capital, which backs E-zec, and so was approached to deliver the new Shrewsbury headquarters for the medical transport firm.
E-zec, established in 1998 and headquartered in Redhill, Surrey, employs 1,500 specialist staff and reported revenues of £50m last year.
Wayne Spedding, E-zec Medical’s operations director, said: “I am immensely proud of what has been achieved to ensure that the contract for Shropshire and Powys launched successfully in eight weeks rather than the usual 26.
“Our team’s focus and delivery have surpassed expectations and demonstrate our determination and resolve to deliver the best service we can to all our stakeholders.”
Taylor said: “It was crucial that we acted rapidly on this one due to the tight timescale between the contract being awarded and it going live.
“Thanks to excellent co-operation between all parties concerned we were able to provide E-zec with early access to the property so it could be fitted with the technology and equipment required to run its operations, fleet and advice centre.”
