Azets acquires medical accounting firm Sandisons

Azets, a regional accounting firm and business advisor to SMEs, has agreed a deal to acquire Sandisons in Dorset, a specialist provider of medical accounting services.

The acquisition marks Azets’ fourth UK acquisition in seven months, and continues its “ambitious growth strategy to double revenue in the next five years”.

Sandisons is a long-established firm of specialist medical accountants, with four directors and a team of 50 people. It delivers accountancy and business services to a wide portfolio of medical practices and medium sized owner managed businesses across the South of England and Wales. 

The firm, which was founded in 1978, became Sandisons in 2004 and now acts for more than 160 GP practices and 2,000 individual GPs, consultants, and other medical professionals.

The deal expands the firm’s footprint in the South West and Wales, whilst Sandisons and its clients will benefit from access to broader accounting, tax, audit, advisory and business services.

This follows the recent acquisitions of Tait Walker in the North East, Garbutt and Elliott in Yorkshire, and Inspire Accountants in the South of England.

David Owens, regional CEO at Azets, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sandisons and its clients into the Azets family. Sandisons has spent many years establishing its specialism in the medical sector and is known for providing a first-class service to GPs, medical practices, and SME businesses. 

“The NHS environment is undergoing significant change and, whilst the number of GP practices is declining, their size and complexity is increasing. The clients need increasingly sophisticated advice which non-specialist accountants can no longer provide. We are ideally placed to guide them through the opportunities and challenges they face, leveraging the wider Azets advisory and wealth management capability nationwide.”

He added:“Sandisons shares our vision for talent development, exceptional service provision, and a culture of innovation. This acquisition adds to our unique market proposition as a leading advisor and provider of professional and outsourced services to SMEs.”

Sunil Sawney, director at Sandisons, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Sandisons, our colleagues, and clients to join a rapidly growing firm with an outstanding reputation. Our many years of experience afford us specific expertise in addressing the complex issues that arise in professional, medical partnerships and GP practices, and we will continue to evolve our services as part of Azets.

“Our clients are at the heart of everything we do, and they will receive the same high level of service from their trusted advisors, now underpinned by Azets’ breadth and depth of capability across several new areas.”

The acquisition, which will complete in September 2022 subject to regulatory approval, and will see Sandisons rebrand to Azets. The firm will continue to be led by Sunil Sawney, James Broom, Thomas Bradley, and Roger Morgan. All 50 staff will be retained as part of the transition.