Doctors Healthcare in Good Hands –

The Doctors Healthcare Group, including Cytogenetics DNA Services Ltd. and William Woodard Associates Ltd., was bought by its management team in a GBP20 million ($30 million) public to private transaction backed by Barclays Private Equity.

Barclays’ investment will enable the Doctors Healthcare management to refinance the business and allow the company to expand and make further acquisitions, both in the U.K. and overseas.

Based in London and Egham, Surrey, Doctors Healthcare has developed from a diagnostics laboratory business into an integrated healthcare group that employs approximately 250 people. The business provides testing services, laboratory management, laboratory automation hardware and software sales and support and consultancy services. The company was founded in 1988.

“The rate of growth we are targeting will require significant additional investment. We are fortunate that Barclays Private Equity already had an excellent knowledge of our business and the sector in which we operate, and we are looking forward to developing the business in partnership with them,” said Dr. Ray Prudo, chief executive officer and chairman of the group.

“The company operates in a niche sector for clients in the clinical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, and is at the forefront of developing public private partnerships (PPP) with the NHS in diagnostic services,” said Mark Taylor, associate director of Barclays Private Equity. “This is a business we have had our eye on for several years and are delighted to be backing such a successful and entrepreneurial management team.”

Advisors on the deal included PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Pinsent Curtis and Cambridge Consultants.