Digital Healthcare acquired by EMIS Group plc

Digital Healthcare's principal area of business is providing solutions and services to manage and support systematic population-based retinal screening programmes. Active in many countries, but principally in England and Wales where it has a market share in excess of 75%, Digital Healthcare has deployed over 60 Diabetic Retinopathy screening programmes, managing in aggregate over 2 million registered patients and over 42 million retinal images.

The acquisition provides EMIS Group with a strong position in a profitable niche market adjacent to EMIS Group's core presence in GP and Community Pharmacy systems. The purchase consideration, net of cash acquired, amounted to £ 3.1 million, payable in cash from the Group's existing resources. The acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in a first full year of ownership by EMIS.

Kevin McDonnell, Managing Director of Digital Healthcare said:

"Digital Healthcare has helped to improve the provision of Diabetic Eye Screening services over the last decade and I am delighted that Digital Healthcare will be joining the EMIS Group. This is an exciting time for Digital Healthcare and together we look forward to further improving the services provided to patients".

Chris Spencer, CEO of EMIS Group said:

"I am delighted to welcome Digital Healthcare to the EMIS Group. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in the UK and it has been estimated that screening services could save more than 400 people per year from sight loss in England alone. As well as the obvious health benefits for those suffering from this long term condition, we see immediate opportunities for the Group in the provision of hosted services and a full end-to-end managed Diabetic Retinopathy screening service. In the medium term we also see further scope to integrate primary, community and acute healthcare and data for those at risk."