As it looks to expand across London, private healthcare giant Bupa has agreed to acquire its first UK hospital since 2008.

Bupa's new independent private hospital will be in Kingston's New Victoria Hospital.

General manager for Bupa Health Services, Sarah Melia, said: We're delighted to be acquiring New Victoria Hospital and expanding our hospital services further across London.

"The acquisition enables us to provide more Bupa services directly to our customers and makes it easier to move from diagnosis into treatment, so that patients get fast access to the care they need."

Under Bupa, the new hospital, which is expected to be completed this summer, has 33 beds and specialises in orthopaedics, gynaecology, general surgery and gastroenterology and has state-of-the-art facilities, including 128 slice CT scanning facility, fluoroscopy room and a 1.5 tonne MRI.

It also operates an outpatient and diagnostics department, which provides patients with rapid access to advanced imaging, a cardiac diagnostic facility and a comprehensive endoscopy service. With recently increased capacity, the hospital features three new operating theatres.

Bupa, which operates internationally, grew its customer base to 60.5m in 2024, up from 50m in 2023, with revenue up 16 per cent year on year.

It currently operates 88 health clinics across the UK, and New Victoria Hospital is Bupa's first UK hospital acquisition since 2008, enabling the advancement of more seamless patient pathways from primary care services into secondary care facilities.

The sale of New Victoria Hospital has been advised by Knight Frank.

New Victoria Hospital in Kingston, which opened in 1958, is a charity-owned private hospital.

David Marshall, Chief Executive at New Victoria Hospital, said: "Bupa is a great fit for us as we share similar values and cultures, with a strong long-term commitment to putting customers first.

"I'm excited to see how we can continue to grow together and strengthen our treatment pathways for our patients.

"I want to reassure patients that all appointments and surgeries are going ahead as planned and they will continue to receive the same high-quality care as they always do at New Victoria Hospital."

He continued: "We are incredibly proud of the heritage of the Hospital, its roots and how it has become a lifeline to so many in our community and beyond. 

"Under the Bupa umbrella, our ethos, values and commitment to exceptional care will remain unchanged, and all patients will find the same welcoming and positive environment thanks to the dedication of all our teams.

"As we embark on this new journey, we want to thank all our patients, staff, Consultants, and GPs for your continuous support and reassure you all that all appointments and Hospital activities are going ahead as planned and we will continue to deliver the same high-quality care as we always do at New Victoria Hospital."

Malia added: "We look forward to working [with New Victoria] and sharing clinical excellence and expertise across multiple specialties."