One of the major US investors in UK healthcare has put its chain of GP surgeries up for sale and is moving on to what it sees as more profitable markets.
US health insurer Centene has started to market its chain of GP clinics, Operose, just days after it agreed to sell the UK’s largest private hospital chain, Circle/BMI UK, for US$1.2 billion.
NYSE-listed Centene’s UK strategy was to use GP surgeries to refer patients to its chain of 53 Circle/BMI hospitals in England.
But objections to what some saw as stealth privatisation and a struggle to incentivise doctors to use its facilities allied to rising costs prompted the decision to sell, according to reports today.
In a statement, Centene said it wanted to focus on its three core lines of business in the United States.
“Part of this strategy has included a portfolio review and the decision to divest assets that fall outside this core focus in the United States and ex-United States,” the company said.
Abu Dhabi-owned Pure Health bought the Circle/BMI chain of hospitals.