CLH Healthcare

What CLH Healthcare does

CLH Healthcare is a family-owned distributor of healthcare and care home supplies headquartered in Exeter, United Kingdom, serving care homes, nursing homes, and healthcare facilities primarily across South West England. Founded in 1975 as KL Quilts, the company has operated continuously for over 50 years and currently stocks more than 4,000 products across ten categories, including care equipment (patient lifting hoists, beds, mattresses, mobility aids), protection products (gloves, aprons, PPE, hand sanitisers), patient care supplies (incontinence products, wipes), janitorial supplies, medical equipment, laundry products, catering supplies, linen, furniture, and replacement parts. The company also sells a proprietary Hand Sentry soap and sanitiser brand and distributes named products such as the Oxford Midi patient lifting hoist and Joy for All companion pets for dementia care.

The business operates a traditional B2B distribution model, generating revenue through one-time sales of healthcare products priced per unit with volume discounts on case quantities. Its go-to-market combines an e-commerce website (clhgroup.co.uk), a telephone quick-order system, and direct field sales targeting care home procurement managers. Critically, CLH owns and operates its delivery fleet, with in-house trained drivers delivering approximately 95% of products directly to customer sites within the South West region. The company also provides after-sales equipment repair and maintenance through in-house engineers and service vans, plus educational resources via its Learning Centre and an online furniture configurator tool for bespoke contract quotes.

CLH Healthcare's customer base is fragmented across hundreds of care home and healthcare facility buyers in a single UK region, with no disclosed enterprise anchor contracts or large single-customer dependencies. The company was formally incorporated as CLH Group Ltd in May 2016 and has made two notable acquisitions — Quantock Healthcare Supplies (2010) and the disposables section of Medaco (2014) — to broaden its product portfolio from its origins as a linen supplier. There are no external investors, parent companies, or funding rounds disclosed, and the company remains under family ownership.

Name

CLH Healthcare

Legal name

CLH Group Ltd

Website

https://clhgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLH Healthcare is a family-owned Exeter-based distributor of over 4,000 healthcare and care home products, serving nursing homes and care facilities across South West England via its own delivery fleet, e-commerce platform, and in-house equipment repair services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare and Care Home Supplies Distribution

NAICS

Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Linen Supply (812331)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Durable Medical Equipment (DME) & Home Health Distribution (CRAOAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paper, Tissue, Wipers & Dispensers Distribution (CRAOAGAC), Restroom Hygiene & Odor Control Distribution (CRAOAGAF)

Keywords

• Care home supplies
• Healthcare distribution
• Medical equipment supply
• Patient care products
• Infection control supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Product Sales: CLH Healthcare generates revenue through the sale of healthcare supplies and equipment to care homes, nursing homes, and healthcare facilities. Products include care equipment, protection products, patient care items, janitorial supplies, medical equipment, catering, linen, furniture, and parts. The company stocks over 4,000 items from branded manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CLH Healthcare distributes more than 4,000 healthcare and care home products across ten categories—care equipment (moving and handling, nursing equipment, specialist seating, mobility, evacuation), protection products (gloves, aprons, PPE, hand sanitisers, soaps), patient care supplies (incontinence, wipes, toiletries), janitorial supplies, medical equipment, laundry, catering, linen, furniture, and parts. The company serves care homes, nursing homes, healthcare facilities, and hospitality settings primarily across South West England via its own e-commerce website, telephone sales, and in-house delivery fleet.

Product overview

CLH Healthcare is a family-owned healthcare supplies distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 4,000 products across 10 main categories: Care Equipment (moving and handling equipment, nursing equipment, specialist seating, mobility equipment, evacuation equipment), Protection Products (gloves, aprons, PPE, hand sanitisers, hand wash soaps), Patient Care Supplies (incontinence products, wipes, toiletries), Janitorial Supplies (cleaning products, paper products, dispensers, bins, odour control), Medical Equipment (nebulisers, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, first aid), Laundry Products, Catering Supplies, Linen (bathroom, bedroom, table, kitchen), Furniture, and Parts. The company operates a traditional e-commerce retail model with in-house delivery fleet serving the South West of England. Key branded product lines include the proprietary Hand Sentry soap and sanitiser range, Oxford Midi patient lifting hoists, and Joy for All companion pets for dementia care. Additional services include a Learning Centre with educational resources, a Furniture Configurator tool for custom quotes, and equipment repair and maintenance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care Equipment Comprehensive range of care equipment including moving and handling devices (patient lifting hoists, stand aids, bath hoists, overhead hoists, patient slings, handling belts, slide sheets/boards, turntables), nursing equipment (electric adjustable beds, mattresses, cushions, bedroom aids, tables, bathroom equipment, powered baths, shower chairs, grab bars, commodes, weighscales, heel protectors), specialist seating, mobility equipment (wheelchairs, ambulance chairs), and evacuation equipment sold to care homes and healthcare facilities.
• Protection Products Personal protective equipment including gloves (vinyl, latex, nitrile, synthetic, sterile, household, polythene), disposable aprons, PPE, hand sanitisers, and hand wash soaps and moisturisers for infection control in care homes and healthcare facilities.
• Patient Care Supplies Patient care essentials including incontinence products (shaped pads, straight pads, diapers, belted briefs, pull-up pants, disposable underpads, stretch pants, PVC pants, reusable pads, nappies, bedpans, urinals, pulp products), dry and wet patient wipes, clothes protectors, and toiletries for care home and healthcare use.
• Janitorial Supplies Cleaning and hygiene supplies including floor cleaning machines, carpet cleaning products, hard surface cleaners, bleaches, disinfectants, mops, buckets, dustpans, brushes, brooms, descalers, degreasers, toilet cleaners, polishes, glass cleaners, concentrates, cloths, scourers, paper and plastic products, dispensers, bins, and odour control products for facility cleaning.
• Medical Equipment Medical supplies including nebulisers and aspirators, aneroid blood pressure monitors, sphygmomanometers, thermometers, instruments and accessories, resus equipment, suction and infusion sets, tracheostomy products, first aid supplies, care packs and swabs, syringes, needles, medication dispensing equipment, record books and charts sold to care homes, clinics, and healthcare facilities.
• Laundry Products Laundry supplies including detergents, fabric softeners and conditioners, stain removers, laundry powders and tablets, laundry bags, and laundry equipment for care home laundry operations.
• Catering Supplies Catering and dining equipment including assistive dining aids, kitchenware and cutlery, crockery, poly plastics, glasses and glassware, cookware, serving utensils, kitchen disposables, catering equipment, and catering clothing for care home catering operations.
• Linen Textile supplies including bathroom linen (flannels, hand towels, bath towels, bath sheets, bath mats), bedroom linen (bed linen, sleep-knit, pillows and duvets, satin stripe, bedspreads, blankets, bed linen protectors), table linen, and kitchen linen.
• Furniture Furniture for healthcare settings including bedroom furniture, mattresses and beds, dining furniture, fireside lounge chairs, living furniture, rise and reclining chairs, and headboards.
• Parts and Components Replacement parts including bed parts, air mattress parts, lifting equipment/hoist parts, batteries, and ferrules for maintenance of care home equipment.
• Hand Sentry Soap and Sanitiser Range Proprietary branded line of hand hygiene products including antibacterial foam soap cartridge refills, luxury blue foam soap refills, unperfumed skin conditioning barrier cream refills, automatic soap dispensers, and alcohol hand sanitiser gels in manual and AUTO dispenser options for care homes, healthcare, and hospitality settings.
• Equipment Repair and Maintenance Service After-sales service providing a dedicated team of engineers with an in-house workshop and service vans to keep care equipment in optimal condition, including collection and repair of items such as hoists, plus a free step-by-step hoist troubleshooting guide for customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of products delivered on own vehicles by own trained drivers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Medline Industries: One of the largest privately-held manufacturers and distributors of medical supplies globally, serving hospitals, nursing homes, and home health providers. Comparable product categories (PPE, patient care, infection control) and care home customer base, but at much greater scale and geographic scope than CLH.
• Henry Schein: Global distributor of medical, dental, and healthcare supplies to office-based practitioners and institutional buyers. Comparable business model (wholesale healthcare distribution) and product overlap (medical equipment, consumables) though focused on clinical/dental channels rather than UK care homes specifically.
• Bunzl plc: FTSE-listed global distribution giant with a large UK healthcare and cleaning/hygiene division serving care homes, hospitals, and HORECA customers. Operates nationally and internationally with significantly greater scale, but overlaps directly with CLH's core product categories and customer segments.

Direct peers

• Countrywide Healthcare Supplies: UK-based distributor of healthcare, medical, janitorial, and care home supplies with a multi-region delivery network. Directly comparable to CLH in product breadth (DME, incontinence, PPE, janitorial, furniture), B2B care home customer base, and value-added services such as equipment servicing.
• Priory Direct: UK online distributor of cleaning, hygiene, catering, janitorial, and medical supplies serving care homes, healthcare facilities, and hospitality. Directly comparable to CLH in product categories, B2B online sales model, and care home customer focus.
• Gompels Healthcare: UK healthcare and care supplies e-commerce distributor stocking tens of thousands of SKUs across infection control, patient care, janitorial, and equipment categories. Closely comparable to CLH in business model (e-commerce-led B2B), product mix, and target customer base of care homes and healthcare facilities.
• Reliance Medical: UK manufacturer and distributor of first aid, medical, and healthcare supplies serving the NHS, care homes, schools, and emergency services. Comparable product overlap (first aid, medical consumables, PPE) and UK healthcare customer base, though with more emphasis on first aid.
• Care Shop (NHC Group): UK care home and healthcare supplies specialist offering a comprehensive catalogue of consumables, equipment, furniture, and janitorial products to the social care sector. Direct competitor with similar target customer (UK care homes), product breadth, and solution-selling approach.
• Beaucare Medical: UK medical and healthcare equipment supplier specializing in pressure care, moving and handling, and patient care products for care homes and hospitals. Comparable to CLH's care equipment category (hoists, slings, beds, mattresses) with overlapping customer base.

Others

• Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare: UK arm of a major global manufacturer of durable medical equipment (mobility, beds, hoists, respiratory). Comparable because it supplies the same categories of DME that CLH distributes from brand partners like Invacare/Oxford, making it both a potential supplier partner and a competitive threat if it moves toward direct-to-care-home distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLHGroupLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLHHealthcare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clh-healthcare-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CLH Healthcare