Acquirer(s)

  • Primary Health Care Ltd

Target(s)

  • Symbion Health Ltd

Summary

Primary Health Care Limited proposes to acquire all the issued shares in Symbion Health Limited. Primary proposes to retain the medical centre, pathology and diagnostic imaging businesses and divest the consumer product and pharmaceutical product businesses to unknown purchasers.

Market definition

Medical centres
The relevant markets considered were the local markets for the supply of general medical services, with a geographic catchment area of between 5 to 10 kilometres in metropolitan areas and a wider catchment area for rural areas.

Pathology
The relevant markets considered were state markets for community pathology services, noting that there may be more narrow segments within these markets.

Diagnostic Imaging
The relevant markets considered were the local markets for the supply of diagnostic imaging services (excluding MRI and nuclear medicine), excluding all in-patients at public hospitals.

Competition analysis

The ACCC considered the competitive effects of the proposed acquisition in the relevant markets and concluded as follows:

Local markets for the provision of general medical services: The ACCC considered this market from a horizontal and vertical integration analysis and did not consider that any competition issues arose that would be likely to substantially lessen competition.

Local markets for the provision of diagnostic imaging services (excluding MRI and nuclear medicine), excluding all in-patients at public hospitals: the ACCC considered this market from a horizontal and vertical integration analysis and did not consider that any competition issues arose that would be likely to substantially lessen competition.

State based community pathology services markets: the ACCC considered this market from a horizontal and vertical integration analysis and did not consider that any competition issues arose that would be likely to substantially lessen competition.

The ACCC found that there would be viable alternatives to the merged firm in all of the markets outlined above.

Other

Document title Date
Letter to ASX

Timeline

Date Event

ACCC commenced review under the Merger Review Process Guidelines.

Closing date for submissions from interested parties.

ACCC announced it would not oppose the proposed acquisition.