Direct Healthcare Services

What Direct Healthcare Services does

Direct Healthcare Services, operating as Direct Healthcare Group (DHG) and now DHCare following the February 2026 merger with Invacare Europe and Asia Pacific, is a UK-based medical device company headquartered in Caerphilly that designs, manufactures, and distributes pressure area care, specialist seating, safe moving and handling, and bathroom safety solutions for individuals with reduced mobility. Its core product platform centers on proprietary technologies including the DYNA-FORM SmartResponse hybrid mattress, Carital anti-deformation mattresses, ProAxis specialist seating, and a multi-brand portfolio (DYNA-FORM, Carital, Mercury Advance, Florien Elite, Wendover, ProAxis), supported by EU MDR/CE-mark and ISO 9001 certifications.

The business operates a hybrid commercial model combining one-time device sales and recurring 24/7 rental and service solutions, including specialist bariatric equipment, beds, hoists, and support surfaces. Customers are primarily healthcare providers (hospitals, care homes, nursing facilities) across the UK and continental Europe, with a secondary persona channel for end users with reduced mobility. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales backed by 11 language-specific European websites, dedicated phone hotlines, and a multi-country service infrastructure.

Growth has been driven by serial acquisitions — Kirton (2017), Nightingale Care Beds (2016), Sumed (October 2024) — culminating in the Invacare Europe/APAC merger (February 2026) and the announced acquisition of Ottobock's Human Mobility Division (June 2026), positioning DHCare as a global medical device platform. Rhône investment vehicles entered exclusive acquisition discussions in July 2025, indicating a private equity ownership transition.

Name

Direct Healthcare Services

Legal name

Direct Healthcare Group

Website

http://www.directhealthcareservices.co.uk/contact-us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Direct Healthcare Group (DHCare) is a UK-headquartered medical device company that manufactures and distributes pressure care mattresses, specialist seating, moving and handling equipment, and bathroom safety solutions to hospitals and care providers across Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Devices (Pressure Care and Patient Mobility)

NAICS

Home Health Equipment Rental (532283)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical & Mobility Device Leasing (Consumer) (FSAKANAJ)

Keywords

• Pressure care mattresses
• Medical devices
• Specialist seating
• Patient mobility equipment
• Bathroom safety solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Caerphilly

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Product Sales: Sale of medical devices including pressure care mattresses, specialist seating, moving and handling equipment, and bathroom safety products to healthcare providers and care facilities.
2. Rental & Service Solutions: 24/7 rental and servicing of medical equipment including specialist bariatric solutions, beds, hoists, and support surfaces. The company offers dedicated rental hotlines and servicing support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Direct Healthcare Services (DHG/DHCare) is a specialist British medical device manufacturer producing pressure area care and patient mobility solutions for healthcare providers. The company manufactures pressure ulcer prevention mattresses (including the DYNA-FORM SmartResponse hybrid range), specialist seating for complex care needs, safe moving and handling equipment, and bathroom safety products, and also provides 24/7 rental and servicing of medical equipment including bariatric solutions, beds, hoists, and support surfaces.

Product overview

Direct Healthcare Group (DHG) is a medical device company organized as a platform of specialized product categories that work together to serve individuals with reduced mobility. The core offering spans five interconnected divisions: Pressure Ulcer Prevention (featuring the DYNA-FORM brand with hybrid, static, and dynamic mattresses plus cushions and accessories), Specialist Seating (for complex care needs including adult, pediatric, and bariatric ranges), Rental & Service Solutions (bariatric equipment rental and servicing), Safe Moving & Handling (lifts, transfer aids, standing/walking supports), and Bathroom Safety Solutions (shower chairs, grab rails, toilet aids). Following the merger with Invacare Europe/APAC, the combined entity operates under DHCare brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DYNA-FORM: Pressure care mattresses and cushions including Smartresponse hybrid mattress
• Carital
• Mercury Advance
• Florien Elite
• Wendover
• ProAxis

Products and services

• DYNA-FORM SmartResponse Hybrid Mattress Next-generation hybrid mattress featuring intelligent pressure care technology for the prevention of pressure ulcers in individuals with reduced mobility, marketed to hospitals, care homes, and nursing facilities.
• Pressure Ulcer Prevention Range Complete range of pressure care solutions including anti-deformation mattresses (Carital Optima), hybrid mattresses (Mercury Advance), static mattresses (Dyna-Form Community), dynamic mattresses (Air-Pro Plus), cushions (Dyna-Pad, Mercury Advance Cushion), accessories, cover fabrics, bariatric products, and beds (Gamma 3) for pressure ulcer prevention.
• Specialist Seating Specialist seating solutions for patients with complex care needs, including adult seating range (Florien Elite), kids range (Duo Mini), riser recliners (Wendover), and bariatric seating (ProAxis), for hospitals, care homes, and specialist care facilities.
• Rental & Service Solutions Rental and serviced medical equipment solutions including specialist bariatric solutions, bariatric evacuation equipment, beds, hoisting, scale systems, support surfaces, and training equipment, supported by a 24/7 rental and servicing hotline for healthcare providers.
• Safe Moving & Handling Comprehensive moving and handling solutions including falls management, positioning cushions, powered turning aids, transfer aids, rail systems, sliding mats and sheets, mobile and ceiling lifts, lifting slings, and standing/walking aids for safe patient transfer and handling in healthcare facilities.
• Bathroom Safety Solutions Bathroom safety products including tilting chairs, shower trolleys, commodes, bathing accessories, grab rails, toilet raisers, arm supports, shower stretchers, and mobile chairs for healthcare and care home settings.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ottobock (Human Mobility Division)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026DHCare signs definitive agreement to acquire Ottobock's Human Mobility Division, further expanding the company's mobility and healthcare product portfolio.
• Invacare Europe and Asia PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Merger combining DHG and Invacare Europe/APAC to form DHCare, a global medical device company. The merger creates an expanded organization supporting efforts to move health forward by delivering innovative solutions for individuals whose lives are impacted by reduced mobility.
• SumedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2024DHG acquired Sumed to strengthen its market-leading pressure ulcer prevention portfolio, expanding the company's capabilities in this therapeutic area.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Permobil: Swedish manufacturer of powered wheelchairs and seating solutions with adjacent positioning to DHCare's specialist seating and mobility portfolio; partial overlap focused on complex mobility and posture care.
• Savaria: Canadian-listed accessibility and patient handling company offering medical beds, ceiling lifts and stairlifts; comparable in patient handling and bathroom safety categories with growing European presence.

Broad incumbents

• Getinge: Swedish-listed global medical technology group with acute care and surgical workflow products including ICU beds and support surfaces; competes with DHCare in hospital accounts across Europe.
• Stryker: Large diversified medical device incumbent with overlapping MedSurg bed and patient handling products; not a pure specialist but a key competitor in European hospital procurement for pressure care and mobility.

Direct peers

• Joerns Healthcare: US medical equipment company focused on wound care (pressure ulcer prevention surfaces), patient handling and equipment rental/leasing services — directly comparable combination of product portfolio and recurring rental revenue model.
• Arjo: Swedish medical device company directly competing in pressure ulcer prevention mattresses, hospital beds, patient handling and hygiene solutions for hospitals and care homes — highly comparable product portfolio and customer base to DHCare.
• Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare: US-based durable medical equipment manufacturer with broad portfolio across pressure prevention, mobility, bathroom safety and patient handling — closely comparable breadth and target customer segments to DHCare.
• Linet Group: Czech-headquartered manufacturer of hospital beds, pressure care mattresses and birthing/ICU solutions; competes head-to-head with DHCare in European pressure ulcer prevention tenders and hospital bed markets.
• Etac AB: Swedish developer of mobility, seating, transfer and patient handling solutions including the R82 and Molift brands; directly comparable in specialist seating, safe moving & handling and bathroom safety categories.
• Hillrom (Baxter): Major US-listed (now Baxter-owned) manufacturer of hospital beds, pressure injury prevention surfaces and patient handling equipment; directly overlaps DHCare's pressure care and specialist seating categories across institutional healthcare buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-healthcare-services

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Direct Healthcare Services