NRS Healthcare, contracted by the Department of Health (DoH) to provide equipment such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and fall alarms, is reportedly on the brink of running out of funds. The company, which operates a site in Lisburn and maintains equipment across Northern Ireland, also handles repairs and supports hospital discharges.

Philip McGuigan, Sinn Féin MLA and chair of the health committee, said he is “deeply concerned” by reports of the company’s potential collapse. “I have written to the health minister to understand the department’s reliance on NRS and to ask if a contingency plan is in place. Patient safety and wellbeing must be paramount,” he said.

NRS Healthcare employs around 1,500 people across the UK and is headquartered in Leicestershire. In a statement, the company said it is “exploring all options to safeguard services and protect the communities who rely on them.”

The DoH confirmed it is “developing contingencies” to ensure continuity of care, stating that officials are actively considering how to maintain high-quality support for service users.

The company’s financial instability follows a major cyberattack last year, which was cited in its most recent accounts. It is also understood that NRS has been operating at a loss on some local authority contracts and has struggled under inflation, rising operational costs, and national insurance increases—challenges that have hit many firms in the healthcare supply sector.

As concerns mount over the potential disruption of vital health services, attention now turns to how quickly the department can implement alternative support if NRS fails.