Company History

The growth of modern UK private health care accelerated in the mid-1970s. Independent hospitals established themselves to provide patients with the opportunity to benefit from treatment in a more comfortable and sympathetic environment than that possible within NHS hospitals of that time.

General Healthcare Group (GHG) has evolved though the development and acquisition of a number of private health care organisations since 1970. It has a clear strategy that continues to drive its growth and development.

Date	Event
1970	AMI, a leading US for-profit hospital provider, acquired its first hospital, Harley St Clinic.
1983	By 1983, through a combination of acquisition and an ambitious building programme, the group had grown to 13 hospitals.
1984	The group’s Psychiatric Division was formed and the first Partnerships in Care Ltd facility opened at Langton House.
1985	The first brain injuries centre was opened at Grafton Manor. Great Northern Hospital Management was formed.
1987	Compass buy out from Grand Metropolitan.
1988	AMI floated on London Stock Exchange. The group's Health Services Division emerged as part of the health screening service offered through BMI hospitals. Initially servicing major national screening contracts with major employers, the Division extended its range of services by purchasing a number of occupational health interests including OHSA, the government Occupational Health and Safety Agency.
1989	Generale des Eaux acquired Great Northern Hospital Management.
1990	Generale des Eaux, later Vivendi, acquired the Group through its sister company Generale de Santé, having made its first purchase in the UK with the acquisition of Great Northern Hospitals during the previous year.
1991	UHS was bought by Amicus. Between 1991 and 1995, the Psychiatric Division expanded, incorporating the specialist learning disabilities service, Care Perspectives, and its employee assistance programme, Care First.
1993	AMI changed its name to BMI Healthcare and General Healthcare Group (GHG) was chosen as the new corporate group name, derived from Generale de Sante (meaning General Health).
1994	Generale des Eaux merged the two acquired groups and BMI Healthcare became confirmed as the trading name of the acute hospital operating company. General Healthcare Group was confirmed as the corporate name of the enlarged company.
1995	Cinven Ltd bought out Amicus from Compass. At that time, it ranked fourth largest amongst all private acute care hospital providers in the UK. Psychiatric division, Partnerships in Care, continued to expand, adding a further brain injuries unit at Elm Park, and learning disabilities units at East Riding and Spinney.
1997	The Group was acquired by funds managed by Cinven Ltd. In a separate but simultaneous transaction, Cinven also acquired GHG's French sister company Generale de Sante. International activities, based in London but managed in Paris, were transferred leaving the British company to operate autonomously.
1998	GHG was merged with Amicus Healthcare Group Ltd, which had developed its 15 hospitals between 1982 and 1995 under the ownership of Grand Metropolitan Plc and Compass Group Plc. This merger brought together two highly complementary businesses to form the leading UK private health care provider that GHG represents today.Throughout this period, the group's portfolio of over 40 hospitals developed through both acquisition of existing facilities and the construction of a number of purpose-built facilities.
2000	On 1 September 2000, the Group's controlling shareholder, Funds managed by Cinven Ltd, sold their shareholding and investment in the Group to Funds advised by BC Partners, one of Europe's leading private equity companies.
2005	BMI Health Services, Occupational Health division, was sold to The Capita Group Plc to become part of Capita Health Solutions. Partnerships in Care was sold back to Funds managed by Cinven Ltd in April 2005.
2006	GHG was acquired by a consortium led by Network Healthcare Holdings Limited (Netcare), a South African public company listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE), which has controlling interest in the combined business. The consortium includes three UK-based financial and property investors (funds advised by Apax Partners Worldwide LLP, London and Regional Properties and funds advised by Brockton Capital LLP) as well as Netcare.
2008	GHG increases its number of acute care hospitals managed under the BMI brand to 57 through the acquisition of 9 hospitals from Nuffield. The locations acquired were: Birmingham, Bury St. Edmunds, Gerrards Cross, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Lancaster, Lincoln, North London, Nottingham. (subject to OFT review.)