Contents:

Executive Summary 1. Market Definition REPORT COVERAGE MARKET SECTORS Medical Equipment Medical Consumables MARKET TRENDS Centralised Buying Procedures Increasing Flexibility of Healthcare Delivery Company Activities Increased Healthcare Expenditure Globalisation of Standards and Technological Advances ECONOMIC TRENDS Inflation Table 1: UK Rate of Inflation (%), 1998-2002 Unemployment Table 2: Actual Number of Unemployed Persons in the UK (million), 1998-2002 Population Table 3: UK Resident Population Estimates by Sex (000), Mid-Years 1998-2002 Gross Domestic Product Table 4: UK Gross Domestic Product at Current Prices and Constant 1995 Prices (£m), 1998-2002 Household Disposable Income Table 5: Household Disposable Income in the UK (£), 1998-2002 MARKET POSITION 2. Market Size THE TOTAL MARKET Table 6: The UK Market for Medical Equipment and Consumables by Value at Current Prices (£m at msp), 1998-2002 BY MARKET SECTOR Medical Equipment Table 7: The UK Market for Medical Equipment by Value at Current Prices (£m at msp and %), 1998-2002 Medical Consumables Table 8: The UK Market for Medical Consumables by Value at Current Prices (£m at msp and %), 1998-2002 OVERSEAS TRADE Imports Table 9: UK Imports of Medical Equipment and Supplies by Source by Volume (metric tonnes), 2001 and 2002 Exports Table 10: UK Exports of Medical Equipment and Supplies by Destination by Volume (metric tonnes), 2001 and 2002 3. Industry Background RECENT HISTORY Telemedicine Open Standards and Interoperability INDUSTRY SYNOPSIS Table 11: Average Financial Performance of Companies Engaged in the Manufacture of Medical and Surgical Equipment and Orthopaedic Appliances (£000, % and £), 2001/2002 NUMBER OF COMPANIES Table 12: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged in the Manufacture of Medical, Precision and Optical Instruments, Watches and Clocks by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2003 EMPLOYMENT Table 13: Number of UK VAT-Based Local Units Engaged in the Manufacture of Medical, Precision and Optical Instruments, Watches and Clocks by Number of Employees, 2003 REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN THE MARKETPLACE DISTRIBUTION HOW ROBUST IS THE MARKET? LEGISLATION European Directives Medical Devices Directive CE Mark Notified Bodies Medical Device Agency KEY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Association of British Healthcare Industries European Confederation of Medical Devices Association European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association GAMBICA Other UK Trade Associations and Organisations 4. Competitor Analysis THE MARKETPLACE MARKET LEADERS Table 14: Selected Leading UK-Registered Suppliers of Medical Equipment and Consumables by Turnover and Pre-Tax Profit (£000), 2001/2002/2003 Smith & Nephew PLC Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results SSL International PLC Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Abbott Laboratories Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Baxter Healthcare Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Johnson & Johnson Medical Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Smiths Medical Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Huntleigh Technology PLC Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Becton, Dickinson UK Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results GE Medical Systems Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results B Braun Medical Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Datex-Ohmeda Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Philips Medical Systems UK Ltd Company Structure Current and Future Developments Financial Results Other Companies OUTSIDE SUPPLIERS MARKETING ACTIVITY Exhibitions 5. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS 6. Buying Behaviour THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE Healthcare Spending Table 15: NHS Expenditure in the UK (£bn), 1997/1998-2003/2004 Structural Organisation England Wales Scotland NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency PRIVATE HEALTHCARE Market Forecasts Major Companies 7. Current Issues FOUNDATION HOSPITALS FEAR OF RISING BUREAUCRATIC COSTS IN WALES ROBOT DOCTOR HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY HEALTHCARE FRAUD ON THE RISE IN THE US Corporate Issues SSL International Pledges to Focus on Recovery Smith & Nephew Exits Rehabilitation Sector Demand from NHS Patients Fuels BUPA's Profits Pioneering UK Firm's Technology Sold to the US 8. The Global Market TOTAL MARKET SIZE EUROPE THE US JAPAN CHINA 9. Forecasts INTRODUCTION Table 16: Government Forecasts for the UK Economy (000, % and million), 2003-2007 FORECASTS 2003 TO 2007 Table 17: The Forecast UK Market for Medical Equipment and Consumables by Value at Current Prices and Constant 2002 Prices (£m at msp), 2003-2007 FUTURE TRENDS Demographics Market Segmentation and Technological Developments Merger and Acquisition Activity/Globalisation 10. Company Profiles Abbott Laboratories Ltd Baxter Healthcare Ltd Becton, Dickinson Uk Ltd B Braun Medical Ltd Datex-ohmeda Ltd Ge Medical Systems Ltd Huntleigh Technology Plc Johnson & Johnson Medical Ltd Philips Medical Systems Uk Ltd Smith & Nephew Plc Smiths Group Plc Ssl International Plc 11. Further Sources Associations Bonnier Information Sources Government Publications

Summary:

Medical equipment accounts for a small but significant proportion of total spending on healthcare in the UK. In 2002, total expenditure on medical equipment and consumables was estimated at £2.49bn, having increased by 27% since 1998 and by 32.2% since 1997 — the year the New Labour administration, committed to increasing spending on the National Health Service (NHS), came to power. In recent years, the market has been growing, on average, at almost twice the rate of inflation — a real growth rate of between 2% and 3% per annum. This probably reflects the price inflation seen in the healthcare sector and the introduction of more sophisticated (and more expensive) equipment, as well as greater spending on healthcare by the Government and private citizens. Technology has been the key driver in the medical equipment and consumables industry — and indeed the entire healthcare sector — in recent years. Developments are taking place at an astonishing pace. Products are becoming increasingly sophisticated, yet simpler to use, as well as more flexible and more portable. These improvements, along with advances in communications technology, mean that medical equipment and consumables are increasingly being used outside their traditional settings: in the patient's home or — with the advent of telemedicine — at remote locations, rather than in a doctor's office or at the hospital. In comparison with other industries, the medical-equipment market is relatively stable and immune from the vagaries of the economic cycle, because spending on healthcare tends to increase whatever the state of the economy. Governments are always reluctant to cut back on healthcare spending, even in times of economic hardship, because this is a politically sensitive issue. Equally, consumers (understandably) only reduce spending on their health as a last resort — although expenditure on private healthcare is undoubtedly influenced by the economic cycle. The market is highly competitive — the global nature of the marketplace means that UK suppliers must compete on a global basis. US, Japanese and German companies own a significant number of medical-equipment manufacturers, and the industry is characterised by a strong research and development (R&D) base: some companies invest as much as 20% of their turnover in R&D. As a result, and because the industry incorporates a broad range of different technologies and products, the medical-equipment market is dynamic, innovative and responsive to change. Although the market's annual growth rates are already strong, they are expected to rise over the next 5 years, fuelled by the Government's commitment to increase spending on the NHS by historically large amounts. The market should benefit not only from higher public spending on healthcare, but also from the increase in private health insurance, supported by strong economic growth. In addition, the ageing profile of the UK population will help to drive sales.