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Craneware buys fellow healthcare firm to expand into patient access market [Scotsman, The (Scotland)](Scotsman, The (Scotland) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Healthcare software company Craneware has swooped on a Kilmarnock technology firm in a cash and shares deal worth up to GBP1.25 million.The Edinburgh-based group, which develops billing software for US hospitals, said the purchase of Kestros would allow it to tap into the UK "patient access" market, which allows people to arrange GP appointments and order repeat prescriptions over the internet. Aim-quoted Craneware is paying GBP150,000 in cash for Kestros, which was founded in 2009, the remainder to be paid in shares.Chief executive Keith Neilson said: "We believe Kestros, with its highly innovative and sophisticated mobile application, which is currently in use in the NHS, has significant potential for expansion."He added: "The governments in both the US and the UK are pushing for greater IT links between patients and healthcare providers, meaning both markets are highly receptive to innovative technologies such as Kestros'."Records at Companies House show that Kestros was majority owned by Manjit Mooker, while Calcular, a firm based on the Isle of Skye, was also a shareholder.Craneware, which recently revealed record sales for the year to the end of June, also announced yesterday that it had appointed healthcare industry veteran and former Deloitte partner Russ Rudish as a non-executive director with immediate effect.Neilson added: "Russ brings over 30 years' experience within the US healthcare industry, most recently developing Deloitte's global healthcare strategy, and brings huge insight in the developments currently taking place in this market." (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |