Nuffield Hospitals Acquires Cannons Health & Fitness, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 03 Dec 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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Nuffield Hospitals is delighted to announce the acquisition of Health Club Investment Group Limited, the parent company of Cannons Health & Fitness and related businesses.

David Mobbs, Nuffield Hospitals Group Chief Executive, says, "This is a very exciting moment for Nuffield Hospitals. We are fast becoming a broad-based health group, able to serve a wide range of the public's health needs in addition to operating our excellent hospitals. This acquisition will allow us to bring more services to more people.

"We believe that people want to take a more active role in maintaining and promoting their own health. They have an increasingly sophisticated view of what services they want to help them stay fit and healthy as well as to look after them when there are problems. We are responding to that by providing the services people want, delivered where and when they want them.

"The potential benefits of bringing health and fitness services and more traditional healthcare services closer together are enormous.

"Our great advantage as an independent not-for-profit organisation is that we have neither shareholders nor political masters. We can make bold decisions in the long-term interests of promoting health in this country and we will continue to lead with innovation."

Chris Jessop, Chief Executive of Nuffield Proactive Health, a division of Nuffield Hospitals offering corporate health, fitness and physiotherapy services, welcomes Cannons to the Nuffield group: "Cannons and Nuffield Proactive Health can complement each other's strengths, and develop together. We have expertise in integrating health services such as physiotherapy and health assessment with fitness and exercise, whereas Cannons has built a strong reputation for operating excellent clubs which are great places to get in shape and stay healthy.

"Cannons members will continue to enjoy the latest exercise facilities and highly personalised service that they have come to expect. We will gradually introduce additional services to help them manage other health and wellness needs at their convenience."

Cannons Chief Executive Arnu Misra adds, "We are very excited by Nuffield's vision of a broader-based health and fitness proposition. Our colleagues and members can look forward to a bright, secure and exciting future under the Nuffield umbrella."

Nuffield Hospitals

Established in 1957, Nuffield Hospitals is currently celebrating 50 years at the forefront of independent healthcare. Nuffield is a registered charity and the largest not-for-profit independent healthcare provider in the UK. Our aim is to make independent healthcare affordable and accessible to all, helping people to take control over their health.

The Nuffield Hospitals Group comprises:

- Nuffield Hospitals: Nuffield operates across England and Scotland serving both private and NHS patients, offering the highest standards of clinical expertise and patient care in modern, well-equipped facilities.

- Nuffield Diagnostics: a nationwide service offering advanced imaging and pathology services.

- Vanguard Healthcare: the world's largest fleet of mobile operating theatres and hospitals, able to relocate virtually anywhere in the UK and Ireland within a day.

- Nuffield Proactive Health: the leading expert in employee health, vitality and wellness, providing services to many of the UK's major corporations and over 120,000 employees annually. It is the first UK company to offer corporations a single point of access to a seamless spectrum of health, wellbeing and fitness services underpinned by the highest standards of medical care and expertise.

Nuffield Proactive Health

Cannons Health & Fitness

Nuffield Hospitals has acquired 100% of the share capital of Health Club Investments Group Limited, trading as Cannons Health & Fitness.

Cannons Health & Fitness is a leading provider of commercial health and fitness clubs and local government management services. It has 52 commercial clubs located throughout the UK and manages 15 government facilities, primarily through the Courtney's brand.

Cannons Health & Fitness

The combined group

Following this acquisition, Nuffield Hospitals will serve the health and fitness needs of around 300,000 people in over 170 locations, in addition to receiving over 1 million patient visits each year at its hospitals. The combined turnover of Nuffield Hospitals and Cannons Health & Fitness in 2006 was nearly £600mllion.

Nuffield Proactive Health