Statement of Preliminary Issues released for Central Healthcare Operations’ application to acquire an ownership interest in the Crest Hospital
Published16 Nov 2022
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application from Central Healthcare Operations Limited seeking clearance to acquire 100% of the shares in Aorangi Hospital Limited. At present, Aorangi and Southern Cross Healthcare Limited operate the Crest Hospital in a joint venture.
The statement outlines the key competition issues that the Commission considers important in deciding whether or not to grant clearance to the proposed acquisition.
The Commission invites interested parties to provide comments on the likely competitive effects of the proposed acquisition. Submissions can be sent by email to registrar@comcom.govt.nz with the reference ‘Central Healthcare/Aorangi’ in the subject line. Any submissions should be received by close of business on 29 November 2022.
The Commission is currently scheduled to make a decision on the application by 18 January 2023. However, this date may be extended as the investigation progresses.
The Statement of Preliminary Issues and a public version of the application can be found on the Commission’s case register.
Background
We will give clearance to a proposed merger if we are satisfied that the merger is unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market. Further information explaining how the Commission assesses a merger application is available on our website.