UK Healthcare & Wellbeing Payment Practices: Sector Outperforms, But Wide Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 43
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 62.6/100
• UK average: 50.0/100
• Difference from UK average: 12.6 points above
• Top Payer: MOTABILITY OPERATIONS LIMITED - 100/100
• Bottom Payer: BOOTS MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED - 22/100

What Stands Out

The Healthcare & Wellbeing sector demonstrates demonstrably better payment performance than the UK average, with a PaymentCheck score of 62.6 compared to the UK's 50. However, a massive gulf exists between the best and worst payers, highlighting significant inconsistencies in financial responsibility across the sector. The bottom payer, Boots Management Services Limited, has a score almost 80 points lower than Motability Operations Limited, the top payer.

Best Payers

1. MOTABILITY OPERATIONS LIMITED - 100/100
2. PHYLLIS TUCKWELL MEMORIAL HOSPICE LIMITED - 96.8/100
3. OASIS DENTAL CARE LIMITED - 94.2/100
4. COLGATE-PALMOLIVE (U.K.) LIMITED - 94.2/100
5. CAREHOME SELECTION LIMITED - 92.2/100

Worst Payers

1. BOOTS MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED - 22/100
2. PZ CUSSONS (UK) LIMITED - 23.5/100
3. TEVA UK LIMITED - 26.5/100
4. COTY MANUFACTURING UK LIMITED - 28.8/100
5. JOHNSON JOHNSON LIMITED - 30.2/100

Regional Patterns

Regional payment performance varies considerably, with the "Unknown" region (only one company) topping the charts at 76.0. The South West and East of England also performed well, with averages of 75.2 and 75.1 respectively, while London, with the largest sample size (15 companies), lags behind at 64.5. The West Midlands, based on a sample of a single company, sits in the middle at 70.1.

Consider using a late payment calculator to assess the potential impact of these payment practices on your business.

Takeaway: Despite an average score of 62.6, 39% higher than the national average of 50, some healthcare and wellbeing companies, like Boots Management Services Limited at 22, are frankly awful payers, creating cash flow problems for their suppliers.

2025: The Story

The Healthcare and Wellbeing sector experienced a challenging year for payment practices in 2025, with the average score dropping 2.5 points to 62.6/100 (from 65.1/100), accompanied by a significant decrease in reporting entities from 60 to 43. This overall decline, however, was not universal. ESSITY UK LIMITED demonstrated a remarkable turnaround, soaring by 18.8 points to reach 62.9/100, showcasing that substantial improvements are achievable. Conversely, major player JOHNSON JOHNSON LIMITED saw a significant decline of 9.1 points, landing at a concerning 30.2/100. An interesting pattern emerged within the Coty brand; while COTY UK&I LTD improved by 8.4 points to 51.5/100, COTY MANUFACTURING UK LIMITED fell 5.8 points to 28.8/100, highlighting internal discrepancies in payment performance. Given the overall decline and fewer active reporters, suppliers in this sector must meticulously scrutinise payment terms and partner stability.