Consultant sells practice to HCA
By Charles King
The Birth Company’s Harley Street clinic
A practice set up by an entrepreneurial consultant to look after pregnant mothers and women with fertility problems has celebrated its 21st year by being sold to hospital group HCA.
The Birth Company in Harley Street, and more recently in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, has been acquired to enhance the work of The Portland Hospital for Women and Children.
It was founded in 2000 by obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Donald Gibb, who left the NHS in 1999 in the month he was 50.
Dr Donald Gibb
He shared his tips for a successful practice in an Independent Practitioner Today article (July-August 2013) called ‘A labour of love’.
The business offers 3D and 4D pregnancy scans, NIPT screening and complementary services, such as reflexology, pregnancy massage and psychotherapy counselling.
HCA said as The Portland Hospital was the only private hospital in the UK solely dedicated to the healthcare of women and children, the acquisition of The Birth Company – which performs over 8,000 ultrasound scans annually –would expand its capacity to offer ‘exceptional care’ to mums-to-be.
Every year, the hospital’s maternity unit delivers over 1,200 babies and its team of over 600 consultants diagnose and treat more than 40,000 children.
Jane Whitney-Smith
Jane Whitney-Smith, its chief executive, called the acquisition a ‘strategic partnership’.
She said: ‘We are positive that this acquisition will create exciting new opportunities for The Portland Hospital, while further enhancing our obstetrics services and the high-quality maternity care and support we provide for all women.
‘Not only will The Birth Company extend our offer to mums-to-be, but it will also increase choice, which, alongside clinical excellence, is at the heart of what we strive to provide for our patients.
‘This partnership will form a natural pathway into the hospital for delivery and the onward care needs of both mum and baby in the years to come.’
Kate Richardson, managing director of The Birth Company, said: ‘By working alongside the expert team at The Portland Hospital, we will be able to provide a seamless care for mums-to-be from pregnancy and beyond.’