Salts Healthcare

What Salts Healthcare does

Salts Healthcare Ltd is a privately held, family-owned UK medical device manufacturer specialising in stoma (ostomy) care products for people who have undergone colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy surgery. Founded circa 1700 and headquartered in Birmingham, the company designs and manufactures ostomy bags, pouches, and accessories under registered brands including Confidence BE, Confidence Natural, and Medilink, with proprietary features such as dual-thickness wafers, Aloe Vera-infused hydrocolloid adhesives, low-rustle fabrics, and a colour-choice urostomy range developed using neuroaesthetics research. Its products are listed on the NHS Drug Tariff and distributed primarily through the NHS prescription system via the wholly owned Medilink home-delivery service, which operates 19 dispensing care centres across the UK and is registered with the Care Quality Commission.

The business operates a hybrid B2B/B2C model: B2B enterprise sales into NHS Integrated Care Systems, trusts, and procurement teams via a dedicated NHS Partnership Team offering the Stoma Patient Analyser data tool, and consumer-facing support through free sampling, the Salts Trainer and Ostique Connect mobile apps, the Brand Advocate community programme, and the Future Forum of specialist nurses. A distinct education arm — the Salts Academy, run in partnership with De Montfort University — has trained approximately 225 UK stoma care nurses (~25% of the specialist workforce) at degree and master's level, functioning as a talent and KOL pipeline rather than a separate P&L. Geographic operations are concentrated in the UK with a recent Swedish extension following the acquisition of M Care, and the company remains family-controlled with no disclosed external private equity or venture capital investment.

Name

Salts Healthcare

Legal name

Salts Healthcare Ltd

Website

https://salts.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1700

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Salts Healthcare is a family-owned UK medical device manufacturer designing ostomy bags and accessories under the Confidence BE and Medilink brands, distributing primarily through NHS prescriptions and a 19-centre UK home-delivery network serving stoma patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Stoma Care Products: Manufacture and sale of ostomy bags (closed, drainable, urostomy) and accessories through NHS prescriptions and direct ordering. Revenue generated through prescription dispensing, with NHS Business Services Authority processing payments.
2. Home Delivery Service (Medilink): Free home delivery service for stoma and continence supplies in the UK. Revenue comes through NHS prescription processing when patients nominate Medilink as their supplier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Salts Healthcare designs, manufactures and supplies stoma care products including ostomy bags (closed, drainable, urostomy) and accessories, with the flagship Confidence BE® line featuring dual-thickness wafers and Aloe Vera-infused hydrocolloid adhesive. The company delivers these products through the Medilink® free home delivery service operating 19 dispensing care centres across the UK, and complements them with the Salts Academy, which provides accredited clinical education for stoma care nurses in partnership with universities.

Product overview

Salts Healthcare provides a comprehensive stoma care product portfolio centred on the Confidence BE® product line, which includes closed bags, drainable bags, and urostomy products (flat and convex variants). The Confidence BE® range features the flagship urostomy bag offering three colour options (black, white, stone), night drainage bags, and soft convex options. Supporting products include the Confidence® Natural and Confidence® Convex ranges. Services include the Medilink® home delivery service (with 19 UK dispensing care centres), Salts Academy (accredited education for healthcare professionals), and mobile applications (Salts Trainer App and Ostique Connect). The company also provides patient support through its Future Forum community, Brand Advocate programme, and research initiatives including neuroaesthetics applied to product design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Confidence BE: Premium stoma bag product line featuring innovative design with color options and neuroaesthetics-informed development.
• Ostique Connect
• Salts Academy

Products and services

• Confidence BE® State-of-the-art stoma bag product range with clever features designed to address concerns with filters, leakage, pancaking, ballooning, and personal choice. Features dual-thickness wafer with Aloe Vera extracts and is available in closed, drainable and urostomy variants.
• Confidence BE® Urostomy One-piece urostomy bag offering choice of three colours (black, white and stone), with sleek low-profile design, flow control mechanism with rotating detachable bung lanyard, and soft water-repellent fabric.
• Confidence BE® Urostomy Soft Convex One-piece urostomy convex bag providing convex support for users who require it, part of the Confidence BE® range.
• Confidence BE® Night Drainage Bag Night drainage bag designed to connect to Confidence BE® Urostomy products, supporting users day and night.
• Closed Stoma Bags Closed stoma bags designed for one- and two-piece closed users in the Confidence BE® range.
• Drainable Stoma Bags Drainable stoma bags designed for one- and two-piece drainable users in the Confidence BE® range.
• Confidence® Natural One-piece urostomy bag in the Confidence® Natural product line, offering a natural-feel alternative.
• Confidence® Natural Advance One-piece urostomy flat bag in the Natural Advance product line.
• Confidence® Convex Supersoft One-piece urostomy convex bag with supersoft comfort features for users requiring convex support.
• Additional Stoma Care Products Comprehensive range of additional products complementing the core stoma care product range, including accessories used alongside ostomy bags.
• Medilink® Home Delivery Service Reliable, free and discreet home delivery service for all stoma and continence supplies in the UK, supported by a nationwide network of 19 dispensing care centres.
• Salts Academy Clinical education platform offering validated and accredited stoma care courses for healthcare professionals in partnership with universities, including adult and paediatric courses at degree and master's level.
• Ostique Connect by Salts Mobile application for people living with a stoma, providing community connection, support and resources; available on iOS and Android.
• Salts Trainer App Mobile application available on iOS providing training and support related to Salts Healthcare stoma care products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improvement of approximately 40m in walk test can reduce length of stay by one full day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• De Montfort UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10+ year partnership delivering validated and accredited stoma care education at degree and master's level. The adult stoma care course has educated 225 UK stoma nurses (approx. 25% of specialist nurses). Partnership established in 2013 with ongoing collaboration including joint textbook publication.
• Professor Claus Christian Carbon / EPAEG Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on neuroaesthetics in stoma care, exploring how the brain responds to design, colour and texture. Professor Carbon serves as leading expert in the field, sharing evidence behind neuroaesthetics and its application to patient care.
• M Care (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish company that became part of the Salts Healthcare family. Plans to extend Salts Academy educational offerings to the Swedish market through collaboration with MCare team.
• Colostomy UKminorOthersDonation partnership where Salts Healthcare donates £1 to the association for patients registering interest in product evaluations.
• IA (Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Association)minorOthersDonation partnership where Salts Healthcare donates £1 to the association for patients registering interest in product evaluations.
• UA (Urostomy Association)minorOthersDonation partnership where Salts Healthcare donates £1 to the association for patients registering interest in product evaluations.
• JC Social MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media agency that handles social media management and helps reach out to patients who have shared their stories for social media content.
• Central Skin Sciences Institute (CSSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Skin Engagement Day 2025 and skin-related education and research for stoma care patients.
• Huddersfield Royal InfirmaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS trust where Dan Springett works as physiotherapist integrated with Colorectal and Stoma Care Team, implementing prehabilitation and Surgery School programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coloplast: Danish global leader in ostomy care with a comprehensive portfolio of ostomy bags, barriers, and accessories. Coloplast is Salts' most significant direct competitor in the UK NHS market, competing on product performance, clinical evidence, and prescriber engagement.
• Convatec: UK-listed global medical products company with a major ostomy care franchise. Convatec competes head-to-head with Salts across the NHS prescription channel, with comparable product categories and similar prescriber-focused go-to-market motion.
• Hollister Incorporated: US-headquartered, privately held manufacturer of ostomy and continence care products. Hollister competes directly with Salts in the UK and broader European markets, including through its Dansac brand focused on stoma care.
• B. Braun (Welland): B. Braun's Welland ostomy range competes directly with Salts in the UK NHS market, offering a comparable portfolio of one- and two-piece ostomy bags and accessories across similar patient segments.
• Pelican Healthcare: UK-based ostomy and continence care supplier competing directly with Salts in the NHS prescription channel. Pelican offers a similar product range targeting colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy patients within the UK market.
• Dansac: Specialist ostomy care brand owned by Hollister, focused on stoma care products. Dansac competes with Salts in the UK and European markets with a comparable one- and two-piece product range.
• Welland Medical (B. Braun): B. Braun's UK-based ostomy brand offering a full range of stoma care products. Welland is a long-standing direct competitor to Salts in the NHS prescription channel, with overlapping product categories and customer segments.

Emerging players

• Oakmed: UK-based niche ostomy products manufacturer focused on innovative stoma care solutions including hydrocolloid and convex products. Oakmed is a smaller direct competitor to Salts, primarily serving the NHS prescription channel.
• Trio Healthcare: UK-based specialist in silicone-based ostomy and wound care products. Trio competes with Salts in the NHS market with a focus on silicone technology innovation, particularly around skin-friendly adhesive solutions.
• Respond Healthcare: UK-based distributor and manufacturer of stoma, continence, and wound care products supplying the NHS. Respond operates in a similar prescription-led model to Salts' Medilink business and competes for NHS dispensing volume.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/saltshealthcare
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/SaltsHealthcare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salts-healthcare
• Instagraminstagram.com/saltshealthcare
• Xx.com/SaltsHealthcare

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salts Healthcare