According to new reports from the financial services sector, the popular private healthcare, private medical insurance, and private hospital provider BUPA may sell off 26 of its private hospitals.
The group has been in negotiations with potential purchasers, which may lead to further shake-ups in the competitive hospital market. BUPA hospitals take care of as many as 800,000 patients every year, of which 5 per cent are NHS cases. BUPA are a non-profit organisation, and reinvest their surplus back into their business, and it is expected that a major sale of hospitals would result in investment in the care home business.
BUPA is the largest private healthcare company in the UK, but this is not the first time they have sold hospitals. The company sold nine hospitals to legal &General almost two years ago.
A statement from BUPA commented: "The board confirms that it is undertaking a review to establish whether, given the significant changes in the UK healthcare economy and in particular the increasing role the private sector is playing in that market, there may be benefits for the customers and other stakeholders of BUPA Hospitals and the BUPA Group in a sale of BUPA Hospitals."
The majority of BUPA business is health insurance, which accounts for 43 per cent of sales.




