Birmingham-based medical devices company Salts Healthcare has opened a ‘dual clinic’ for stoma and foot care in Didsbury, Manchester.

The first facility of its kind in the UK, Medilink Didsbury will offer ostomy and othotic products and services to the region – thus combining the company’s two specialist healthcare areas.

Salts has invested £500,000 in the new clinic, its first in the North-West of England. To help build up its business, the clinic is offering a discounted rate of rent to newly-qualified podiatrists.

Cheryl Simpson, Centre Manager of Medilink Didsbury, said: “I’m very proud that my centre is the first Salts ‘dual clinic’, and I'm looking forward to serving the people of Didsbury, Manchester and the whole of the North-West.”

Formed in 1701 and among the UK’s oldest family-owned firms, Salts Healthcare supplies custom-designed stoma care products and podiatry services for individual patients.

Dialysis company Fresenius Medical Care has announced two deals worth a combined $2.1bn, increasing the company’s US presence by making dialysis clinics and outpatient centres available to its customers.

FMC will acquire all of Liberty Dialysis’ 260 clinics in a deal worth $1.7bn, which is estimated to close in early 2012.

On the same day, it was announced that FMC has bought American Access Care Holdings for $385m, which currently operates 28 outpatient centres, serving the vascular access needs of dialysis patients.

FMC officials stated that the acquisition will allow the company to “achieve critical mass” and obtain “strategic importance by virtue of the scale, resources and operational efficiency it brings”.

Based in Germany, FMC has its US headquarters in Massachusetts, USA.