H&Z Management Consulting and the H&Z Group have joined the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) as a commercial associate, as the Munich-headquartered firm looks to grow its services to UK healthcare providers. The move strengthens its connection with the UK independent healthcare sector as it expands beyond its native DACH region.

H&Z Management Consulting was founded in 1997 and has grown to more than 800 consultants in 14 countries, with more than 850 employees and over 3,500 projects delivered. No turnover or EBITDA figures were given for the firm.

Its core consultancy works in strategy and performance, procurement, transformation and sustainability from offices in Munich, Cologne, Hamburg and Zurich, alongside a growing UK team in London.

The IHPN represents independent healthcare providers operating across the UK, and H&Z already works with healthcare organisations across clinical, pharmaceutical and non-clinical procurement, as well as distribution and inventory management.

“Joining IHPN gives us the opportunity to engage more closely with independent healthcare providers and better understand the priorities shaping the sector,” said Brendan McVeigh, partner at H&Z Group. “We look forward to contributing our procurement and supply chain experience to the network.”

IHPN’s latest industry barometer found 78 percent of respondents positive about self-pay and 63 percent positive about insured activity, alongside continued pressure on cost and performance.

The structural driver is procurement maturity, which in healthcare often lags sectors such as automotive and FMCG, leaving latent potential where spend can represent up to 50 percent of a provider’s revenue.

H&Z will bring specialist healthcare experience in cost reduction, supplier management and strengthening business operations and performance, and will help clients make the most of AI in both the patient pathway and the back office.

The wider H&Z Group includes aneon solutions, which implements procurement software, and the firm has expanded its procurement technology capabilities through its acquisition of Jupitos.

For the sector, the association confirms that European procurement specialists are targeting UK independent providers as cost and supplier pressure persists.

Source: consultancy.uk / hz.group / linkedin.com / zoominfo.com