AN independent living centre, which provided daily living and mobility aids, has closed its doors. 

Simplyhealth, in St Andrews Shopping Centre, Droitwich, was one of 10 stores across the country which were shut last week.

A total of 85 employees will be affected across the unlimited, independent living, care and mobility and Collins Care parts of the company. 

It is not known how many employees in Droitwich are affected.
The store aimed at supporting an ageing population, people with mobility requirements, and their carers.

Romana Abdin, chief executive of Simplyhealth said: “This is not the outcome we wanted when we created the unlimited company proposition. It was a very difficult decision to make, not just taking into account the thousands of customers that we have helped but because our own people will be affected. However, we remain committed to ensuring that people who need help with mobility or caring get the best advice and products possible.

“As someone with a disability myself I know there is a need for better support networks for people. Unfortunately it has become clear that physical shops are not a viable way forward for Simplyhealth and from a business viewpoint we have to ensure we look at better ways of providing people with the support they need.”

The stores that fall under the Care and Mobility banner will remain open while a possible sale of this part of the business is considered. 

The unlimited company will fulfil all orders that have already been placed and will continue to support customers, initially contacting them over the coming days. 

The company has developed Simplyhealth Care for Life, an online service providing a wide range of guidance, from access to legal, financial, care at home and care home information to finding a trusted trader or localised support services and help groups close to home. 

Raman Sankaran, chief commercial officer for Simplyhealth, took over the day-to-day running of the company in July 2017 and has led a planned review of the business.

He said: “We understand that health and care is one journey for customers and we will continue to focus on how best to meet their needs, both on our own, and by working with partners. Our new online eldercare guidance and advice proposition, Care for Life, which we launched as an employee benefit last week, is just one example of how we’re aiming to meet changing healthcare needs by being innovative and collaborative.”

Any customers with queries can contact: 0808 271 6481.