BUPA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| BUPA | |
 |
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| Type | Provident association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
| Key people | Val Gooding, CEO |
| Industry | Healthcare |
| Revenue | GBP3,627 million (2004) |
| Employees | 44,000 (2004) |
| Website | www.bupa.com |
BUPA is a healthcare organisation with bases on four continents and more than eight million customers in 192 countries.
Contents |
[edit] Overview and history
BUPA began as The British United Provident Association in 1947. Its biggest and original business is health insurance in the UK for individuals, companies and other organisations. More than half of the UK's top companies are BUPA customers. BUPA has two main call centres for members in the UK, the largest one is in Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, and a smaller one in Staines. The company's main headquarters are based in London and there are offices for the international arm of the company, based in Brighton.
The company is known for its sponsorship of main events, such as the Great North Run, held annually in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Great South Run, held annually in Portsmouth.
[edit] A global health and care specialist
BUPA is now a global health and care specialist with services that include:
- health insurance
- hospitals
- cosmetic surgery
- care homes
- health assessments
- health at work services
- childcare
BUPA has businesses in Asia, Australia, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. It also owns several healthcare companies overseas including Spain's largest healthcare company, Sanitas, and acquired IHI Danmark (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Amedex (Miami, USA) in September 2005.
[edit] Provident status
As a provident association, BUPA does not have shareholders and reinvests its surpluses into improved health and care facilities such as medical equipment, the latest technology and buildings.
[edit] Medical research
BUPA annually awards nearly £1.5 million in grants to the BUPA Foundation, an independent charitable foundation that supports projects to advance medical knowledge and improve treatments.
[edit] Leadership
BUPA's chief executive Val Gooding, who has been in the position since 1998, is ranked as the 16th most powerful businesswoman in the world according to Fortune magazine.
