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41 min ago 3 min read
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is inviting comments on Vivisol’s proposed acquisition of Air Liquide Healthcare’s home oxygen services business before the end of September.
The regulator has not yet identified specific competition concerns, however, and is currently seeking views from interested parties before deciding whether to launch a formal Phase 1 investigation.
Vivisol – a company owned by industrial gases multinational SOL Group – plans to purchase the business through its subsidiary Dolby Healthcare.
The CMA’s interest comes against a concentrated UK home oxygen market, where NHS services are supplied through regional contracts.
Air Liquide serves the South West of England, while Baywater Healthcare provides home oxygen therapy for the East of England, London, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands and Wales.
BOC serves the East Midlands and Northern Ireland, while Vivisol serves the North East and South East of England.
Vivisol currently holds four NHS regional contracts for home oxygen services, supplying around 20,000 patients in the UK.
The concentrated nature of the UK home oxygen market reflects multiple factors, including regulatory requirements, high capital and operational requirements, and geographically defined supply contracts.
According to the British Compressed Gases Association, suppliers need a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licence and NHS contracts to provide oxygen within designated geographical regions.
Post-Brexit regulatory requirements have also added a layer of complexity for medical-device suppliers.
The UK introduced its own UKCA conformity-assessment framework for Great Britain, although CE-marked devices remain accepted under transitional arrangements.
Manufacturers placing devices on the GB market must also register them with the MHRA.
Homecare providers supply not only medical oxygen but equipment including cylinders and oxygen concentrators, alongside installation, risk assessment and patient training.
The planned acquisition is the for Vivisol in 2026. Earlier this year, Dolby Healthcare purchased UK-based Remeo Health and Remeo Property from Active Care Group, which includes a 20-bed facility in Surrey.
A separate deal saw Vivisol Brasil acquire 70% of Oxigenar and Pulmonair, a group headquartered in Rio de Janeiro that offers business-to-consumer home respiratory care.
Most invitations to comment do not automatically lead to formal investigations. Fewer than roughly 40% escalate to formal cases under CMA procedures. Cases may conclude via commitments, undertakings, or early closure rather than formal investigation.
