美国私募股权公司TPG以约4亿美元（3亿英镑）收购了英国NHS患者电子病历系统供应商Optum UK[1]。EMIS软件目前被英格兰超过半数全科诊所使用[1]，这意味着英国数百万患者的医疗记录将落入美国私人投资公司的控制之下。
医疗工作者和议员对此交易表示忧虑。英国医生协会发言人指出："私募股权公司如今控制着英国全科医疗的核心基础设施，超过半个国家的全科诊所患者记录掌握在一家以投资者回报而非患者护理为商业模式的企业手中"[1]。自由民主党卫生发言人海伦·摩根则警告，政府正在"把敏感的NHS数据移交给美国科技公司，使我们的公共服务处于危险之中"[1]。
国际调查记者联盟（ICIJ）在今年初的调查中发现，TPG旗下Rise Fund支持的Evercare医疗集团在肯尼亚医院被指控将患者推入债务困境[1]，这加剧了人们对TPG投资动机的担忧。TPG声称已向Evercare投资超过1亿美元，并否认该公司优先考虑利润而非患者护理[1]。
US-based private equity firm TPG has acquired Optum UK, which manages electronic health records for the UK's National Health Service, in a deal valued at approximately $400 million (£300 million).[1] The acquisition has sparked concern among medical professionals, lawmakers, and human rights organizations over the concentration of sensitive patient data in private equity hands.
The EMIS software platform controlled by the acquired company is used by more than half of all general practices in England to store patient records.[1] A spokesperson for the doctors' association warned that "private equity now owns the plumbing of English general practice. The GP records of more than half the country sit on a system controlled by a firm whose business model is returns for investors, not care for patients."[1] Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Helen Morgan expressed similar alarm, stating that "patients are seeing the government hand over sensitive NHS data to US tech firms, leaving our public services dangerously exposed."[1]
Concerns about TPG's track record have added to the controversy. An investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists earlier this year found that Evercare, a medical group supported by TPG's Rise Fund, was accused of pushing patients at Kenyan hospitals into debt.[1] TPG has maintained that it has invested more than $100 million in Evercare and denied prioritizing investor returns over patient care.[1]