Why is Italy attracting large European diagnostics groups?
In the past two months, SYNLAB, Cerba, Alliance Medical and LifeBrain, four major diagnostic service providers, have strengthened their presence in Italy through the acquisitions of small laboratory/imaging networks. But what is so attractive about Italy?
One key advantage is that the country has no national players –meaning there is an opportunity for large European diagnostics chains to become consolidators buying up networks of diagnostic centres which typically offer primary care together with lab tests and imaging under one roof.
Italy, particularly the northern regions, also is seeing a big switch to private pay for diagnostics. Co-pays at ¢40 plus are so high that many patients can be switched to private pay at say €70 or €80.
But that’s not all. Many centres go way beyond diagnostics. Delta Medica, which was bought this week by Cerba, make 50% of its €8m revenue from specialist outpatient services in sports medicine and occupational health.
Yet, some issues remain.
Prospects for outsourcing, for instance, are not particularly good. As in many other Western European countries, public healthcare facilities are teaming up to create diagnostics platforms large enough to avoid outsourcing to the private sector.
We would welcome your thoughts on this story. Email your views to Ariane Jugieux or call 0207 183 3779.
