The Peacock Group Ltd started its life in 1903 under the name of J.C. Peacock and Son Ltd as a cutlery manufacturer, an industry in which it was successful for many years. The company has banked with Lloyds since its inception.
Peacocks Medical Group (PMG) – Orthotics
Motivated by witnessing the debilitating injuries as casualties arrived home from the First World War, Peacocks diversified into surgical instrumentation, using its skills of working with metals to make splints and supports.
While the industry was crude and simple the devices offered, often life changing, benefits to those returning from war.
Peacocks remained in this field for several decades, expanding into providing a service sterilising and sharpening instrumentation for the local Newcastle hospitals.
In the 1920s and 30s Orthotics remained a niche industry, taking steps to add biomechanical knowledge and science. By the onset of the Second World War devices started to function more effectively, although there was still no recognised industry and, due to the bespoke nature of every device, no standardisation.
The Second World War further shaped the orthotic and prosthetic industry with heavy artillery causing more complex injuries which forced the industry to develop new, innovative designs.
In 1948 Peacocks started to provide orthotic products and services across the UK to the newly formed NHS.
Peacocks Medical Group became a limited company in 1956.
Peacocks has always been at the forefront of training and educating the industry. By the 1960s Colin Peacock (2nd generation) was instrumental in developing the education and development of the orthotic profession. Colin helped create the world’s first orthotic degree courses in Salford and Strathclyde which he taught and was an examiner for many years. Peacocks still work with these universities with placement students coming every year to Peacocks for their post degree training.
117 years after its inception Peacocks is proud to remain at the forefront of orthotic clinical service and manufacture in the UK, supporting thousands of patients a year in NHS secondary care, out-patients, primary care settings as well as to a cohort of private patients.
Patient care is at the heart of our Company ethos; simply put it is the reason for our existence. As such we continue to strive to enhance and innovate our offer using Orthotics to care for more patients and improve their quality of life.
Our 33 orthotists based in acute hospitals, community healthcare nationally, private hospitals and clinical suites work hand-in-hand with a variety of specialists including surgeons, consultants, podiatrists, physios, occupational therapists and primary care clinicians to provide a multi-disciplinary, co-ordinated treatment plan.
We are proud to have achieved national and international recognition for our expertise in specialities as diverse as orthopaedics, rheumatology, neurology, paediatrics, diabetes, and spinal orthotics.
We have a 35,000 sq ft manufacturing site that houses a production team with vast experience and skill developed over decades to produce life changing, made to measure medical devices for patients.
Peacocks has also been heavily involved in technology advancement in the industry, including 3D printing, scanning and software solutions, working with universities and research groups across the world.
Peacocks Surgical and Medical Ltd (“SME”)
Peacocks Surgical and Medical Equipment was created in 1956 and quickly established itself as a distributor of capital equipment to the NHS, sourcing solutions from around the world.
Our original portfolio consisted of beds, theatre lights and surgical battery backup units, operating tables and instrumentation. The company diversified into washer disinfectors and sterilisers in the 1990s to meet the new standards of disinfection being rolled out across the NHS. Recently we have added endoscope washers to the portfolio, because of a huge increase in demand for endoscopy.
While also serving the NHS, the SME customer base is very distinct from PMG in that the services and products it provides come under the umbrella of ‘capital expenditure’, an area the Conservative Government has targeted for increase spend post COVID. This means that our budget is also very different to the income/expenditure budget of PMG which, in turn, diversifies the risk and opens up alternative growth and income opportunities to the Group.
SME has successfully developed a unique position in the UK Decontamination and Sterilisation market within the NHS. Working exclusively with a world leading manufacturer, Steelco (Italy), SME has created an engineering team that has helped Steelco develop their products to be global market leaders.
Additionally, we have built a brand and reputation for high class, on time, low cost, turnkey installations at complex sites across the UK. We boast a wide network of relationships within key stakeholders in the NHS and have enjoyed consistent levels of success and income over the last five years.