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BHTA autumn 2024 membership survey results

Last Updated on 27/01/2025 by Sarah Sarsby

The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) is detailing the results of its autumn 2024 membership survey, which received 38 responses.

The quarterly surveys are designed to get a snapshot of the current BHTA membership, including the members’ nature of business, annual turnover, company size, outlook for future business activity, and the challenges that members are facing.

Most of the respondents came from the mobility (12), stoma and continence (10), and independent living (9) sections, but there was representation across all 12 BHTA Sections. Manufacturers, distributors, retailers, installers, community services providers, NHS services providers, importers, and exporters all responded.

There was a good mix of sole traders, SMEs, and large businesses that participated in the survey. This ranged from two employees, to 50 employees, all the way up to over 500 employees and everything in between.

The image below shows respondents’ annual turnover for the last financial year.

BHTA autumn 2024 survey results - annual turnover image

When asked about how optimistic they were about the wider UK economy over the next 12 months, one respondent replied ‘very optimistic’, 10 said ‘optimistic’, 14 said ‘neutral’, 12 said ‘pessimistic’, and one said ‘very pessimistic’. This response has remained very similar compared to the BHTA’s autumn 2023 and spring 2024 membership surveys.

When asked about how optimistic they were about their organisation over the next 12 months, 18 percent said ‘very optimistic’, 61 percent said ‘optimistic’, and 21 percent said ‘neutral’. No members felt pessimistic. This is a downwards trend compared to the BHTA spring 2024 membership survey.

When asked about how optimistic they were that the UK Government understands and will address key issues facing the sector over the next 12 months, the feeling was more pessimistic overall. 11 percent felt optimistic, 16 percent felt neutral, 58 percent felt pessimistic, and 16 percent felt very pessimistic. This is a downwards trend compared to the BHTA spring 2024 membership survey.

The image below shows members’ outlook for their organisation will be in terms of investment, headcount, revenue, and export, comparing the next 12 months with the previous 12 months.

BHTA autumn 2024 survey results - headcount, revenue, investment, export image

Members cited higher manufacturing costs as the main challenge facing their business. Higher distribution costs, staff recruitment, supply chain challenges, and procurement processes were also mentioned as challenges.

When asked about their business’ ability to interact with, and directly export to, foreign markets over the next 12 months, two felt very optimistic, nine felt optimistic, four felt neutral, four felt pessimistic, and two felt pessimistic. The question was not applicable to the other respondents.

In terms of receiving BHTA updates, members prefer receiving emails from their membership engagement managers, in Section meetings, or via the monthly BHTA newsletter.

The image below shows members’ feelings towards the BHTA’s work in terms of most and least important to their business.

BHTA autumn 2024 survey results - BHTA's work importance image

Finally, when members were asked about what activity they would like to see the BHTA undertake in 2025, there was a range of responses. These included market sizing reports and annual trends, continuing the work to scrap VAT on defibrillators, more political engagement by building on the BHTA’s successes, seminars discussing across-industry challenges such as green procurement requirements, and continuing the work with Drug Tariff review.