UnitedHealth is to wind up its UK arm and plans to shift staff into another subsidiary with a more pan-European focus, HSJ understands.

It is understood the firm will rebrand as Optum Health and Technology and plans to announce it will be transferring staff in the coming weeks.

UnitedHealth UK chief executive Katherine Ward last year became vice president international development of Optum International, another subsidiary of the US parent company. A company called Optum Health and Technology Ltd was registered with Companies House in July this year to the same address and company secretary as UHUK.

A source with knowledge of the business told HSJ the “rebranding” signified a change in “strategic direction” which would include looking beyond the “difficult” NHS market for opportunities in Europe.

The decision comes 10 years after UnitedHealth started operating in the UK, during which time it has reported a loss every year. Documents filed with Companies House show the firm lost more than £39m between 2003 and 2011 – the last year for which accounts are filed.

In 2011 the firm announced it was pulling out of primary care to focus on commissioning support. In February last year HSJ reported almost half of its executive team had been made redundant and the board was under pressure from its US parent company to bring in business.

One of the most successful parts of its business is ScriptSwitch software, a prescribing aid used by 6,500 GP practices. It is also among the 10 organisations shortlisted to bid for the £800m older people’s services contract in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

UnitedHealth declined to answer questions about why the new company had been set up, who had replaced Katherine Ward at UnitedHealth UK, and whether the changes would lead to redundancies.

A spokeswoman said: “UnitedHealth UK, which is an Optum company, is fully committed to the UK marketplace. We currently employ more than 120 individuals and are actively pursuing new opportunities to deliver integrated solutions that work to support the healthcare system and improve the health and wellbeing of individuals across the UK.”

Topics