Private healthcare director targets acute services

The private healthcare director credited with the original idea of transferring elderly people from hospital into private nursing homes, is moving out of the long-term care market and making a push into acute care and day surgery. Chai Patel, until this week chief executive of Westminster Health Care, will now become chief executive of its Priory Health Care mental health services wing, which will be financed by venture capitalists Doughty Hanson.Priory, a leading mental health services provider, accounted for about half of Westminster Health Care's business.Dr Patel now wants to extend its activity into acute services.Westminster's 'senior living'business has been sold to a management buyout led by its current manager Tony Heywood, who takes over as chief executive, in a deal financed by equity group 3i.