Health and wellbeing consulting and brokerage firm, Private Health Partnership (PHP) has acquired Dorchester-based Healthcare Matters.

The purchase, for an undisclosed sum, is the company's 9th acquisition since 2002. It gives PHP an extra £1.2 of annual premium income, adding to its existing income of £40million in premiums and £4 in fees.
 
PHP was formed in 1989 and was bought by the Skipton Building Society in 2002.
 
The acquisition comes as latest figures from the Association of British Insurers shows the number of people covered by private medical insurance rose in 2008 to more than 6.2 million - up from 6 million in 2007.