Bailey Instruments sold to Marsden Group as healthcare deals continue

Manchester-based surgical instrument manufacturer Bailey Instruments has been sold to Yorkshire-based Marsden Group for an undisclosed fee. Consultants from Grant Thornton advised on the sale.

Headquartered at Templeborough, Marsden Group is a medical device producer which offers a range of proven medical devices to help healthcare professionals deliver high quality assessment in hospitals, care homes and community settings. Of the company’s offerings, perhaps the most famous are its innovative weighing devices, used as an essential monitoring and diagnostic tool.

Marsden is presently targeting future growth within international and UK healthcare markets. The latest move in its campaign for expansion sees the acquisition of specialist surgical instruments and medical device manufacturer Bailey Instruments.

Tim Bailey, Chairman of Bailey Instruments, commented, “When we first entered into discussions it was very clear that our vision was very much aligned with that of the Marsden Group and I am confident that the acquisition will provide opportunities to share our expertise and knowledge, helping to improve patient outcomes by continuing to invest and innovate, whilst crucially providing business continuity as well as helping to unlock new opportunities to grow and develop our operations.”

Established in 1984 by Tim and Sally Bailey, Bailey Instruments supplies precision medical instruments and devices to the NHS and global healthcare markets. The acquisition of the Manchester-based firm will complement and strengthen Marsden’s international growth strategy, by expanding the company’s existing range of high quality medical instruments used by medical professionals across the UK’s public and private healthcare sectors. The move meanwhile takes Marsden’s headcount to a total of 50 members of staff.

Meanwhile, joining Marsden will provide Bailey Instruments with an opportunity to continue the innovative work it has been delivering, with a broader reach, to enable caregivers to make a real difference to patient outcomes everywhere. Following the move, the founders’ daughter, Gemma Bailey, will remain actively involved as a director in Bailey Instruments – and will continue to lead its growth in all international markets. 

Grant Thornton advised on the sale of Bailey Instruments to Marsden. The Grant Thornton team was led by healthcare specialist Nick Jones, supported by Cariad Lightfoot and Maria Barnes.  

Jones, who is a corporate finance director at Grant Thornton UK, noted, “We are delighted to have advised the founding shareholders of Bailey Instruments on its sale. There are strong synergies and cross-selling opportunities across both companies and we are confident the business will continue to flourish as part of a larger group. We have seen significant and growing appetite for medical instruments and devices businesses with a global footprint, and we expect this to continue going forward.” 

The move continues a trend which has seen deals involving healthcare companies defy the trends of the broader merger and acquisitions market. As the repercussions of the pandemic continues to weigh on the underfunded NHS, and waiting times remain at decade-long highs, there is a growing demand among patients desperate for treatment turning to private-pay providers. With these pressures seeming unlikely to end any time soon, investors seem set to continue to see such firms as key opportunities.