UK Physical Health Sector Pays Suppliers Well, But Some Big Names Drag Down the Average

The Numbers

• Companies analyzed: 8
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 75.5/100
• UK average: 50.0/100 (Physical Health is 25.5 points above)
• Top payer: PERSHING LIMITED - 99.6/100
• Bottom payer: BANNATYNE FITNESS LIMITED - 43.6/100

What Stands Out

While the average PaymentCheck score for the sector is a respectable 75.5/100, a substantial 25.5 points above the UK average, the difference between the best and worst performers is massive, signalling significant inconsistency. The presence of major players like Virgin Active and David Lloyd near the bottom suggests late payments aren't just a small business problem in this sector, and if you're experiencing late payments, use our late payment calculator to calculate interest.

Best Payers

1. PERSHING LIMITED - 99.6/100
2. PLACES FOR PEOPLE LEISURE MANAGEMENT LTD. - 90.4/100
3. THE GYM LIMITED - 88.1/100
4. DAVID LLOYD LEISURE LIMITED - 84.15/100
5. NATIONAL FOOTBALL CENTRE LIMITED - 84/100

Worst Payers

1. BANNATYNE FITNESS LIMITED - 43.6/100
2. MARINA DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED - 49.3/100
3. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIMITED - 65.1/100
4. NATIONAL FOOTBALL CENTRE LIMITED - 84/100
5. DAVID LLOYD LEISURE LIMITED - 84.15/100

Regional Patterns

The North West, with PERSHING LIMITED's almost-perfect score of 99.6, skews the regional average upwards, but the North East stands out as the worst region with Bannatyne Fitness's low score of 43.6. London companies also cluster around a respectable, but less impressive, average of 81.9. The South East lags behind with a score of 49.3.

Ultimately, while the Physical Health sector overall pays suppliers better than average, a closer look reveals some significant problems; Bannatyne Fitness's PaymentCheck Score is 56 percentage points behind sector leader, PERSHING LIMITED.

2025: The Story

The landscape for Physical Health payment practices saw a notable downturn in 2025, with the average score across eight companies falling by 4.3 points, from 79.8 in 2024 to 75.5. This overall decline was largely unmitigated by positive movement, as no companies recorded significant improvements of more than 5 points year-over-year.

A key factor in this shift was the performance of MARINA DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED. Though new to the explicit data in 2025, its score of 49.3/100 represents a steep 19.1-point decline from its prior year's performance, making it the biggest decliner. This significantly dragged down the sector's average and immediately positions them as a critical company to watch for payment reliability. The absence of strong positive narratives, combined with this significant drop, paints a concerning picture. Suppliers in the Physical Health sector should therefore pay close attention to payment terms and practices, particularly with new or significantly declining payers.