Acquisitions News in the Medical And Educational sector

Thu, 06 Jul 2006: Ultravox, the Manchester-based hearing aid retailer with 138 branches, has been acquired by Amplifon of Italy for £60m. Ultravox operates under ...
[more: Ultravox]

Tue, 04 Jul 2006: Quantica has acquired Interactive Training Management, the work-based training company with 23 staff in Manchester, Chester and Birkenhead, for £409.8k in cash and £200k in shares. Interactive Training Management is privately-owned but receives government funding, and provides NVQs. Chairman and CEO of Quantica, Les Lawson, commented: "The acquisition builds upon our existing presence in the North West and fits well with Quantica Training's regional hub office in Manchester. As with previous acquisitions made by Quantica in this market, it is earnings enhancing, cash generative and has excellent earnings visibilty. We continue to see the training market as offering exciting opportunities for growth and consolidation." ...
[more: Interactive Training Management]

Mon, 03 Jul 2006: Ascribe has acquired HE Information Systems, the supplier of clinical information systems to the NHS, for £6.5m. The deal comprises an initial cash consideration of £2.99m and £998k in shares, followed by a deferred cash consideration of £1.25m and a further £1.25m in shares, to be paid within three years. HEIS currently supplies software to over 21 NHS hospitals, many of which also use Ascribe's Pharmacy and Accident & Emergency systems. Ascribe hopes that the acquisition will enable it to take advantage of commercial opportunities within the NHS. Steven Chritchlow, who is to assume the role of CEO and chairman of Ascribe following the resignation of Graham Lewis, commented: "This acquisition positions Ascribe firmly as a leading health IT solutions provider across primary and secondary care. HEIS has an excellent and highly complementary product and will also bring a strong, experienced management team to the Group. We will now be able to drive organic growth from a complete product set created from best of breed applications. Any future acquisitions will only follow once the Group is aligned to this significant ...
[more: HE Information Systems]

Mon, 03 Jul 2006: Spacelabs Healthcare is to acquire Del Mar Reynolds Medical, the cardiac monitoring business, from Ferraris Group for £14m. A further £5m ...
[more: Del Mar Reynolds Medical]

Tue, 13 Jun 2006: Careforce has acquired Sycamore Rise, the provider of domiciliary care services with 150 staff at sites in Burnley, Clitheroe and St Anne's, for ...
[more: Sycamore Rise]

Wed, 19 Apr 2006: Medisys, the supplier of blood glucose testing kits, is to sell its operating business to Arkray of Japan for £24m, and will now focus on invest...
[more: Medsys]

Thu, 06 Apr 2006: Granada Learning, the educational publishing business owned by ITV has been sold to private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson. The deal will consist of an up-front payment of £35m, with a further £18m subject to Granada’s performance over the next two years. ITV has made over £300m of divestments since 2004, including O21 television. In a company statement, Veronis Suhler Stecenson partner Marco Sodi commented "Granada Learning products and brands are amongst the most recognised in UK education. Its nferNelson tests are leaders in assessment while the Letts Revision Guides, the Blackcat and Semerc software products are well known to teachers and pupils alike. We look forward to working with David Smith and the Granada Learning team to pursue the opportunities offered by the significant projected investment in t...
[more: Granada Learning]

Wed, 05 Apr 2006: Duke Street Capital has sold Paragon Healthcare to private equity firm Hg Capital for £322m. Paragon has over 250 care homes across the UK with approximately 1,300 residents. In a company press release, Hg said it had “a deep understanding of the specialist care sector, which has strong long-term growth prospects”. In 2002, it purchased Castlebeck Care Holdings Ltd from the 3i Group. Hg has also stated that it will invest approx. £12.2 million in Pa...
[more: Paragon Healthcare Group Ltd]

Thu, 01 Jan 1970: The Lighthouse Project, a Merseyside-based charity that provides support to drug addicts and vulnerable women has been placed into administration....
[more: Vital charity service to drug addicts in administration]