Emis buys Digital Healthcare

Emis has bought diabetic retinopathy screening company Digital Healthcare for £3.1m.

Digital Healthcare provides diabetic retinopathy screening and other ophthalmology-related solutions to community clinics, mobile units, specialist ophthalmology departments and practitioners.

The Cambridge company’s 35 employees are expected to remain with the business.

Emis says the acquisition is in line with its strategy of providing cross-organisational healthcare systems.

The £3.1m sale is expected to be earnings enhancing in the first full year of ownership by Emis.

Mike O’Leary, non-executive chairman of Emis Group, was until recently also the chairman of Digital Healthcare.

“(O’Leary) is therefore well acquainted with the capabilities of the business and its management team,” an Emis statement says.

He will donate to charity any profit from his less than 1% shareholding in Digital Healthcare.

Emis Group chief executive Chris Spencer said diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in the UK. It is estimated that screening services could save more than 400 people per year from sight loss in England.

“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,” he said.

“In the medium term we also see further scope to integrate primary, community and acute healthcare and data for those at risk."