PLMR Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing integrated communications agencies, has acquired specialist health and social care agency Healthcomms Consulting as it continues to develop and broaden its offer for an ever-increasing roster of clients.

Founded in 2010, Healthcomms Consulting supports a wide range of clients in the health and social care sector, including the Association of British Healthtech Industries, Brain Tumour Research, Royal College of Podiatry and ThermoFisher Scientific. The agency brings significant additional public affairs and wider communications expertise to the PLMR Group.

The acquisition – PLMR’s fifth in five years – will further strengthen PLMR’s integrated offer for health clients, with existing clients including Spirit Health, Triple P and Healthtrust Europe as well as a host of social care organisations. This success has seen the business shortlisted four years in a row for the prestigious HealthInvestor Awards, including a victory in 2020.

PLMR has set a strategic objective of deepening its expertise in key sectors that make a positive contribution to society, including health and social care, education and the built environment, as well as building out its regional footprint and digital marketing and social media capabilities. The investment in Healthcomms Consulting is a key part of achieving this goal.

This development comes less than a year after PLMR’s successful acquisition of two agencies with a regional focus: Advent Communications in the Midlands, and East of England-based agency Genesis.

PLMR Group is now a team of more than 100 people with offices across the UK in the Midlands, East of England and Scotland, in addition to its head office in London.

Kevin Craig, Founder and Chief Executive of PLMR, said:

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Healthcomms Consulting into the PLMR family and look forward to benefitting from its team’s considerable expertise. This acquisition signals our commitment to sustainable and targeted growth, as well as our keen focus on sectors which are increasingly in need of bespoke high-quality communications support.

“We have been very proud to see our existing health and social care practice go from strength to strength, and in recent years we have proactively and comprehensively supported a wide array of clients in the sector. Healthcomms Consulting’s expertise will significantly bolster this offer, and we’re excited to get underway.

“Joining together with Healthcomms builds on the acquisitions we have made in the past few years and our strong organic growth over the period, allowing us to continue to meet our objectives for clients whilst also providing great careers, training and rewards for our team, and maintain our distinctive and sector-leading approach to charity and philanthropy.”

Sara Bristow, Managing Director of Healthcomms Consulting, said:

“This is a hugely exciting move for Healthcomms Consulting, and one which I know will strengthen the breadth and depth of support we are able to offer new and existing clients. Above all, we are pleased to be taking this next step with PLMR, an organisation we have known and respected for a long time. Together we will support clients across the health and social care sectors to deliver for patients across the country.”