CASE STUDY
Support Programme: High Growth Programme
Company Assisted: HBS Healthcare
Support Activity: Support for a Growing Business
Having embarked on an ambitious growth programme, HBS Healthcare took the decision to maximise its chances of success by taking advantage of two business support programmes delivered by Enterprise4All and funded by NWDA. One was the leadership development programme, LEAD, and the other was the High Growth programme.
Background:
HBS Healthcare was formed in November 2007 to deliver a contract to develop a 
Primary Care facility in Preston. The company’s previous experience was more in the field of clinical support than the design and development of healthcare premises but it had a rich skills base within the business and so it took the initiative and set out to provide a complete turnkey solution. This meant undertaking a holistic study of the needs of local GPs, health care providers, PCT partners and the local community.
The project proved a great success and, seeing a clear opportunity for significant expansion and diversification, the company’s management team began devising a new strategy for growth. This included active involvement in public private partnerships and innovative new ideas such as taking responsibility for the running of the pharmacies within the centres.
Support Provided:
Clients quickly warmed to HBS Healthcare’s combination of 
innovative thinking and its ability to provide a comprehensive solution that ranged from the initial concept right through to the completion and operation of the facility. However, the company remained very forward thinking and therefore sought outside help to ensure that it was making the most of emerging new opportunities.
This help took the shape of two initiatives funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. The first was the High Growth Programme, through which HBS took advantage of professional coaching support from a team of advisers at Enterprise4All, and the other was LEAD – a 10 month leadership development programme for which E4All is one of the regional providers. Together, these schemes enabled the company to address a variety of challenges, encompassing marketing, functional roles, networking and planning for growth.
Results:
Support is currently ongoing but HBS has certainly continued to achieve impressive rates of growth. By bringing together both old and new ideas, it has brought new energy to the sector and its pharmaceutical activities have created a successful spin-off business, HBS Pharmacy. The company was named as “Business Start Up of the Year” in the 2009 Tiger Awards.
“We pride ourselves on our imagination and our passion for delivering innovative community solutions within socially inclusive environments,” says Javid Patel, nonexecutive director of HBS.
“In providing integrated health resource centres and joint service centres, we have forged strong links with Primary Care Trusts, local authorities and other community stakeholders.
“We currently have signed agreements to develop three more ‘super surgeries’ and we aim to secure six further developments over the next three years, with approximately twelve pharmacy outlets over that same period.”
For more details about the HBS Group, please visit www.hbsgrp.com.