Merger Update: Circle/BMI

CMA invites comments on Private Hospital Medical Services merger remedy:

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a consultation on undertakings proposed by Circle Health Holdings Limited (Circle) to address competition concerns over its acquisition of GHG Healthcare Holdings Limited, a parent of BMI Healthcare Limited (BMI).

On 8 April 2020 the CMA announced that it would refer the acquisition for an in-depth investigation unless Circle offered acceptable undertakings to address the CMA's concerns.

To address the CMA's concerns, Circle has offered to divest  Circle Bath Hospital and Circle Birmingham Hospital (excluding the Circle Rehabilitation Centre).

On 24 April 2020, the CMA announced that it would look in detail at these undertakings. The CMA has until 23 June 2020 to consider whether to accept the undertakings, or a modified version of them. As part of this process, the CMA is now consulting publicly on whether the proposals are sufficient to address the CMA's competition concerns.

Before reaching a final decision, the CMA is therefore inviting interested parties to make their views known. The deadline for responses is 28 May 2020.

The consultation on the undertakings and all other information relating to this merger investigation can be found on the case page at https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases.