The Competition Commission has blocked BUPA's proposed acquisition of the Community Hospitals Group,...
The Competition Commission has blocked BUPA's proposed acquisition of the Community Hospitals Group, which would have given the company a 22.7% stake in the private hospital market.
BUPA put in a bid of £230m for the Community Hospitals Group in April 2000 which would have given it over 30% of the acute surgical beds in private hospitals and a 40% share of the privately insured market in the UK.
Trade secretary Stephen Byers said that the Commission refused the purchase because a merger would reduce competition for private medical services which could increase prices.
