Spark Medical, now renamed Spark UK Medical, has endured a turbulent period marked by late salary payments, pension contribution delays, and confusing uniform directives, according to employees. The Bromborough, Wirral-based company, which provides patient transport and emergency response to NHS trusts, was bought out of administration earlier this year.
Financial Crisis and Administration
Operating since 2016, Spark Medical faced financial difficulties last year. Companies House documents show issues arose after a banking restructure, revenue reduction, and rising costs and acquisitions. Having been historically profitable, the company recorded losses of £100,000 in the year to March 31, 2025, and further losses of £600,000 in the nine months to January 2026.
This led the former director to seek insolvency advice, with a creditors' administration application filed in January, placing 375 jobs at risk. A pre-pack administration deal, finalised on February 6, saved those jobs. The sale was made to Forbidden Festival Europe Master Ltd, based in Trafford Park, Manchester, and a newly formed company, Spark UK Medical Ltd. James Cohen is a director of both companies and of the Integras Group, and also of Mersey Medical Services Ltd, a rival operator in the North West.
Staff Report Payment Issues
The ECHO spoke to current and former employees who reported wages not being paid on time for many months, including as recently as this month. Evidence also shows pension contributions were not always paid on time. On Wednesday, August 7, staff were emailed that salaries could not be processed on the expected payday due to "several delayed debtors and an unforeseen delay in an inter-group transaction." Payments were promised two days later at 9am, but another email followed accepting some people had not been paid on time.
One current staff member said: "There have been a number of late payments, they have used all different excuses like issues with payroll, they refuse to put anything in writing. There are a lot of people affected, some people are missing mortgage payments." A former employee added: "It's not always been dramatically late. It has often just been a few days late, but they never give us a clear reason why it is late. One month it was five days late and they blamed it on the bank not being able to transfer the funds. It made us wonder what was going on, were they struggling to afford to pay us?"
Uniform Changes and Company Response
Staff also described confusing requests, including being told to wear Mersey Medical uniforms on NHS jobs while wearing Spark uniforms for private work, and to explain the change as a "technical issue" with CQC registration. One employee said ambulances had Spark stickers replaced with Mersey Medical ones, and staff were told to say there was a technical issue for about two weeks. A July email from group director Matt Richards confirmed the uniform directive was ending, stating that from August 1, 2026, the company would return to operating as Spark Medical and no Mersey Medical uniform was to be worn.
Spark group managing director Brian Wren told the ECHO that staff were TUPE transferred to Mersey Medical Services to ensure "compliant continuity of service." He said a pre-pack sale saved almost 400 jobs, and that Spark UK Medical Limited received full CQC registration in March 2026. He added that an unannounced CQC inspection in May 2026 found concerns raised were "unsubstantiated" and the service was rated Good overall. The NHS confirmed contracts with the North West Ambulance Service were retendered and won by Mersey Medical.
