Kingsbridge Healthcare

Originally established as 3fivetwo Medical Group in 2004 by Dr. Suresh Tharma, an NHS consultant gynaecologist, and Ashok Songra, a consultant maxillofacial surgeon, Kingsbridge Healthcare Group has become Northern Ireland's largest private medical provider. The company rebranded and has since executed a significant expansion strategy across the island of Ireland, now operating four hospitals and eleven clinics in locations including Belfast, Ballykelly, and Sligo. This growth has been supported by strategic private equity investments, including a 2019 injection from Foresight Group and a more substantial investment from Exponent in 2024, which took a majority stake. The founders, Dr. Tharma and Mr. Songra, remain significant minority investors, with Dr. Tharma assuming the role of Chairman of the Board to guide future strategy.

The group's business model is diversified, serving a mix of private patients—through self-pay models or private medical insurance—and public sector patients via partnerships with the NHS and Ireland's National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). This dual approach allows Kingsbridge to address lengthy public healthcare waiting lists while growing its private client base, which now accounts for approximately 60% of its patients. Revenue generation is driven by providing over 25,000 surgical treatments annually, alongside a comprehensive suite of diagnostic and clinical services. During its partnership with Foresight, the group's revenue more than doubled, and EBITDA increased tenfold, culminating in reported revenue of £76.9m for the fiscal year ending March 2022.

Kingsbridge offers an extensive portfolio of medical treatments and services across numerous specialities. Its core hospital services include a wide array of surgical procedures, such as orthopaedic, cataract, and urology surgeries. A notable milestone was the opening of Northern Ireland's first private cardiac surgery and intensive care unit in its Belfast hospital. Beyond surgery, the group operates specialized clinics for sports injuries and prostate conditions, private GP services, and a full range of diagnostics like MRI, CT, and ultrasound scans. The company also runs complementary businesses, including Cosmetech for cosmetic surgery, Kingsbridge Opticians and Hearing Care, and the Kingsbridge Training Academy. Keywords: private healthcare, hospital group, surgical treatments, medical diagnostics, Ireland healthcare, Belfast healthcare, Sligo hospital, corporate healthcare, orthopaedic surgery, cardiac surgery, cataract surgery, urology, private GP, medical investment, consultant-led care, 3fivetwo Group, Suresh Tharma, Ashok Songra, Mark Regan, Exponent, Foresight Group, healthcare services, multi-specialty hospitals, outpatient clinics