Azets, the UK’s largest regional accounting firm and business advisor to SMEs, has agreed a deal to acquire Sandisons in Dorset, propelling Azets into an elite group of leading specialist providers of medical accounting services in the UK.

It marks Azets’ fourth UK acquisition in seven months, as the UK Top 10 accounting firm continues to deliver against its ambitious growth strategy to double revenue in the next five years.

The deal expands Azets’ regional footprint in South West England and Wales and deepens its sector specialism, whilst Sandisons and its clients will benefit from access to broader accounting, tax, audit, advisory and business services and more than 3,800 new colleagues as part of Azets UK.

This follows the recent acquisitions of Tait Walker in the North East, Garbutt & Elliott in Yorkshire, and Inspire Accountants in the South of England, as Azets reinforces its position as the leading voice for the SME sector, with some 120,000 clients.

Sandisons is a long-established firm of specialist medical accountants, with four directors and a talented team of 50 people. It delivers accountancy and business services to a wide portfolio of medical practices and medium sized owner managed businesses across the South of England and Wales.

The firm, which was founded in 1978, became Sandisons in 2004 and now acts for more than 160 GP practices and 2,000 individual GPs, consultants, and other medical professionals, making it one of the largest independent specialist medical firms in the UK. It takes Azets’ portfolio of GP practices to more than 350.

The acquisition, which will complete in September 2022 subject to regulatory approval, will see Sandisons rebrand to Azets. The firm will continue to be led by Sunil Sawney, James Broom, Thomas Bradley, and Roger Morgan. All 50 staff will be retained as part of the transition.

David Owens, Regional CEO at Azets, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sandisons and its clients into the Azets family. Sandisons has spent many years establishing its specialism in the medical sector and is known for providing a first-class service to GPs, medical practices, and SME businesses.

“This is the latest acquisition as part of our proactive M&A programme, designed to help Azets and the firms we’re integrating evolve and adapt to changing environments in the accounting profession through ongoing investment in digital technology.

“The NHS environment is undergoing significant change and, whilst the number of GP practices is declining, their size and complexity is increasing. The clients need increasingly sophisticated advice which non-specialist accountants can no longer provide. We are ideally placed to guide them through the opportunities and challenges they face, leveraging the wider Azets advisory and wealth management capability nationwide.

“Sandisons shares our vision for talent development, exceptional service provision, and a culture of innovation. This acquisition adds to our unique market proposition as a leading advisor and provider of professional and outsourced services to SMEs.”

Sunil Sawney, Director at Sandisons, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Sandisons, our colleagues, and clients to join a rapidly growing firm with an outstanding reputation. Our many years of experience afford us specific expertise in addressing the complex issues that arise in professional, medical partnerships and GP practices, and we will continue to evolve our services as part of Azets.

“Our clients are at the heart of everything we do, and they will receive the same high level of service from their trusted advisors, now underpinned by Azets’ breadth and depth of capability across several new areas.”