Healthcare Markets

Netcare, parent of General Healthcare Group and BMI Healthcare has announced that a positive performance in South Africa (SA) was offset by weaker results in the United Kingdom (UK) primarily due to the challenging economic environment for the six months to 31 March 2012.

While most prescriptions written by family doctors are appropriate and effectively monitored, around 1 in 20 contain an error, according to research into GP prescribing commissioned by the General Medical Council (GMC).

Simplyhealth has announced that Alistair Sclare, healthcare director at private medical insurance provider Groupama Healthcare when it was recently bought by Simplyhealth, is to leave by mutual consent. A spokeswoman for the company said: Following discussions with Alistair Sclare, we mutually decided it is the right time for him to leave Simplyhealth. Alistair was Healthcare Director at Groupama Healthcare and has been a key part of the business for a number of years.

Monitor, the NHS Foundation Trust regulator is set to reconsider whether to impose a debt cap on private businesses providing services to the NHS after the private sector heavily criticised its plans.

Psychiatric care services provider Cygnet in its report and accounts for the year ended 31 October 2011 reported continuing investment in new services to the tune of £1.6 m (2010: £1.1m). Revenue was £78.2m, down slightly from £81.7m in 2010. Group EBITDA was £20.8m (2010: £22.5m) but the figure before costs of the retool of a number of wards and new hospital was £22.4m (2010: £23.6m).

The Priory Group has announced two new acquisitions: the Peninsula Autism Services and Support Ltd (PASS) in Plymouth and Harbour Care covering Bournemouth and Poole.

BMI Lancaster Hospital has appointed David Mills as new executive director. Mr Mills worked previously in regional commercial finance for BMI Lancaster Hospital’s parent organisation BMI Healthcare and has run his own high-end delicatessan in Manchester.

The Hellenic Project is set to rebrand as the Private Hospitals Information Network (PHIN) under chief executive, Matt James, who left the PHA earlier this year in order to develop the project.

BHSF, the employee benefits, healthcare insurance and HR support services provider, acknowledged another challenging year but chairman Dr Paul Kanas expressed himself delighted that BHSF has traded satisfactorily in what were very difficult conditions.’

India and the UK can work more closely together as a partnership of equals to improve primary healthcare for both nations according to the British Medical Journal.