15,000 staff join Medicash scheme.

Byline: NEIL HODGSON 

MEDICASH, the Merseyside-based health cash plan provider, is poised to add thousands of new members in two deals.

A special scheme designed for the 15,000 employees of drinks retailer First Quench is being takne up by the business which includes familiar high street names such as Thresher, Wine Rack, Drinks Cabin, Haddows and Victoria Wine.

Medicash currently has some customers within First Quench who will be transferred into the new company-wide scheme.

``We are absolutely delighted to be extending our links with First Quench and expect that many of their staff will see the attractions of joining the Medicash scheme,'' said Medicash chief executive Bill Gaywood.

The First Quench deal follows last week's link up with 12,300 members of the Rolls-Royce leisure association in Derby.

Medicash gives cash payments and other benefits to members who need health care. It is the UK's third largest scheme with 220,000 corporate and individual members.

Clients include the civil service, county and metropolitan councils. There are also schemes for UNISON, the largest trade union in the country, and Liverpool-based retailer Littlewoods.