pentax ( ペンタックス pentakkusu ) is a brand name used primarily by ricoh imaging company for cameras , sport optics ( including binoculars and rifle scopes ) , and cctv optics .

the brand is also used by hoya corporation for medical products & services , ti asahi for surveying instruments , and seiko optical products for certain optical lenses .

pentax

« what screw - mount pentax camera to purchase ? ? | asahi pentax s . »
pentax nocta with infrared focusing system . the pentax spotmatic motor drive allows professional photographers to shoot 250 continuous frames .
pentax 6x7 medium - format professional camera . the pentax auto 110 is selected by nasa for use in its constellation observation rocket . compact and lightweight pentax mv and pentax me super offer full range of features at affordable prices .
each shareholder of pentax common stock will be allotted 0 . 158 shares of hoya common stock per pentax share .
pentax europe gmbh , april 27 , 2005 . pentax corporation japan , tokyo , is pleased to announce that , on april 26 , 2005 pentax europe gmbh , its 100
pentax s - series ( v ) : pentax s1 , s3 , super - takumar 1 : 1 . 4 / 50mm
learn more about the comprehensive line of compact , lightweight , extremely high quality pentax k - mount lenses for any pentax dslr .
pentax europe gmbh acquires the remaining shares of pentax italia s . r . l . from movi s . p . a .
in december 2006 , pentax started the process of merging with hoya corporation to form ‘hoya pentax hd corporation . hoya’s primary goal was to strengthen its medical - related business by taking advantage of pentax’s technologies
pentax introduces the pentax mx slr camera , at that time the world ' s smallest and lightest slr camera ever put on sale .
the pentax k series is introduced , all with bayonet lens mounts . the series includes the pentax k2 with fully automatic exposure , the pentax kx with a needle matching indicator for the ttl light measuring system , and the pentax km , with a ttl light measuring system .
learn more about the pentax k - 1 take greatness to the next level with the first compact , full frame dslr engineered by pentax .
has anyone seen a black original pentax for sale ? i ' m guessing they would go for insane money . reportedly rarest pentax ever made .
established in 2007 , pentax italia was co - owned by pentax europe gmbh and movi s . p . a . , an italian distributor of healthcare products . pentax italia has increased its sales of endoscopy products and services over this time , leading to pentax europe gmbh’s decision to acquire full ownership .
this further investment by pentax medical into the spanish and portuguese healthcare markets will strengthen pentax medical’s position in these countries , and therefore its standing in europe .
pentax has a big problem in hong kong . the distributor is not making any activity nor services to us . the major stores are not selling pentax any more and i have to order my gears from overseas ! i hope pentax would address to it and taking care of the pentax users in hong kong .
dear sir : some clarification of word terms for novice collectors of vintage pentax brand equipment is needed ! is asahi pentax the brand of telescopes ( and cameras ) sold by asahi optical co . , ltd . ? can pentax without ' asahi ' be used or substituted in place of asahi pentax in a sentence ?
found these links on the other board . it looks like the honeymoon is over between pentax and hoya . from reuters financial : pentax stock jumps , board split on hoya merger | technology , media & telecom | reuters another link : hoya set to make tender offer for pentax : pentax slr talk forum : digital photography review nacl ( looks like all is not hunkydory in pentax land ) h2o
pentax ricoh imaging company , ltd . ( president : noboru akahane ; hereinafter referred to as
pentax ricoh
) announces the company name change as follows .
seems the stockholders at pentax aren ' t happy with the stock exchange ratio .
i ' m betting that hoya will absord pentax in one way or another .
seems the stockholders at pentax aren ' t happy with the stock exchange ratio . i ' m betting that hoya will absord pentax in one way or another . there is nothing on either the pentax or hoya websites concerning this issue . ed
pentax da 35mm f / 2 . 8 ltd hd macro lens ( silver )
pentax da * 16 - 50mm f / 2 . 8 ed if sdm lens
commenting on the acquisition , rainer burkard , managing director pentax europe gmbh and president pentax medical emea said : “italy has been a strong market for pentax medical and we are keen to continue our growth and bring our market leading products and services to as many customers in italy as possible . to that end i am really pleased that pentax italia will now be a wholly - owned subsidiary of pentax medical , and thank movi for its support and contribution to pentax italia’s development . ”
hamburg , 21st january 2016 –pentax europe gmbh has acquired the remaining stock of pentax italia s . r . l . from movi s . p . a . this further investment by pentax europe gmbh into the italian healthcare market strengthens pentax medical’s position in italy and will bring enhanced customer and professional education services to its italian customers .
after the management integration , the new company will be named hoya pentax hd corporation .
pentax hd d fa 15 - 30mm f / 2 . 8 ed sdw wr lens
pentax da 18 - 50mm f / 4 - 5 . 6 dc wr re lens
pentax da 10 - 17mm f / 3 . 5 - 4 . 5 fisheye lens
pentax - da 50 - 200mm f / 4 - 5 . 6 ed wr lens
pentax da 18 - 55mm f / 3 . 5 - 5 . 6 wr lens
pentax dfa 645 55mm f / 2 . 8 al [ if ] sdm aw lens
the new pentax medical defina system in pulmonology - high - definition at its best .
find out the various features of pentax products . cameras built for photographers , by photographers .
pentax d fa 150 - 450mm f / 4 . 5 - 5 . 6 ed lens
pentax smc da 18 - 270mm f / 3 . 5 - 6 . 3 sdm lens
pentax - da 18 - 135mm f / 3 . 5 - 5 . 6 wr lens
pentax - da 20 - 40mm f / 2 . 8 - 4 limited ( black )
hoya group pentax medical announces expansion into endoscopic therapy through strategic investment in creo medical ltd .
pentax - d fa * 50mm f1 . 4 sdm aw lens shipping in july for $ 1199
ricoh announces availability of hd pentax - d fa★50mm f1 . 4 sdm aw star - series lens
. it includes k1000 and other pentax cameras , including some very early ones , for sale .
the new offer values pentax at 98 . 5 billion yen ( us $ 825 million ) .
hd pentax - da 55 - 300mm f4 . 5 - 6 . 3 ed plm wr re
hd pentax - d fa 28 - 105mm f3 . 5 - 5 . 6 ed dc wr
the g - eye™ endoscope distributed by pentax medical is based on pentax medical’s full hd + colonoscopes , combining the g - eye™ technology with state - of - the - art image quality .
it seems to me that the pentax k - s2 is not selling very well . why ?
pentax europe gmbh proudly introduces the naviaid™ bge ( balloon guided endoscopy ) to the european market at the uegw 2008 in vienna . with this next - generation small bowel endoscopy device pentax offers an unprecedented
both pentax and ricoh products will remain in the market to reinforce the company’s commitment to the business .
here , we will introduce the path that pentax has taken together with products released in the past .
pentax a3000 was the world ' s first 35mm slr camera to utilize the dx film sensing system .
but pentax tuesday rejected that deal , and replaced its president , who had been a major proponent .
pentax d fa 28 - 105mm f / 3 . 5 - 5 . 6 ed dc wr lens
pentax hd da 16 - 85mm f / 3 . 5 - 5 . 6 ed dc wr lens
well if the future is full frame then oly will die the same slow death that pentax will .
they have no k - 1 ' s . . . or usually anything pentax stuff in stock .
sparx believes pentax will need to merge with another firm to survive . but pentax’s senior executives oppose being absorbed by another firm . mr mitsuhashi said : “pentax is a traditional , small factory type of firm while hoya is an american - style company . i wonder if merging the two companies would be successful . ”
the company kept the name asahi optical co . until it became pentax corporation ( ペンタックス㈱ ) in 2002 . after successful prototyping since 2000 the company launched its first dslr in 2003 , with pentax k mount . a merger with the hoya corporation was completed on october 1 , 2007 . the new name is hoya pentax hd corporation ( hoyaペンタックスhd㈱ ) . [ 5 ] in summer 2011 hoya announced that it will sell the imaging branch of pentax to ricoh [ 6 ] while it will keep the medical branch of pentax for itself .
the lens mount for all of the asahiflex cameras was a special 37mm mount . this mount was changed to the ubiquitous 42mm praktica / pentax mount with the introduction of the asahi pentax in 1957 . asahiflex lenses can be used on a pentax camera with a special adapter . 42mm pentax mount lenses cannot be used on the asahiflex cameras . sears sold the new asahi pentax as the tower 26 camera . sears also sold the 1958 asahi pentax k camera as the tower 29 . the tower 25 , 27 , and 28 were from other manufacturers . sears marketed many cameras from different manufacturers under the tower brand . a complete list is at
( aperture priority mode ) slr : pentax es - making the body a bit more clunky . . .
listing of most pentax film camera manuals in color - english pdf format from { urltoken orphancameras . com ]
whether the two companies will seal a friendly takeover deal is under question after pentax president fumio urano said six of the eight pentax board members expressed objections to a merger with hoya at a meeting on april 4 .
the news pushed shares of pentax down 4 . 9 percent to 761 yen as of 0512 gmt as investors bet hoya may now fail to acquire pentax , leaving it to face an uncertain future on its own .
pentax hd da 55 - 300mm f / 4 . 5 - 6 . 3 ed plm wr re lens
contact : kaori kawashima gm , global marketing communication pentax medical hoya group email : kaori . kawashima @ urltoken
【ricoh imaging】 hd pentax - d fa★50mmf1 . 4 sdm aw , a large - aperture single - focus lens
pentax’s decision will raise the question of whether hoya will proceed with a planned tender offer bid for pentax , especially with president fumio urano set to resign and be replaced by a board member who voted against the merger .
hoya , a very familiar name in the photographic industry ( not least because they supply lens blanks to many manufacaturers ) and pentax have jointly today announced their intention to merge and become hoya pentax hd corporation ( actually hoya are ' merging ' pentax into their business ) . this merger is due to be completed by october 1 , 2007 . once complete fumio urano ( current pentax president & ceo ) will become chairman of the board and hiroshi suzuki ( current hoya president and ceo ) will become president & ceo . the major conclusions in this announcement are that the pentax name will remain , that pentax ' s optical business will merge with hoya ' s but that pentax ' s current imaging systems division ( that which is responsible for digital cameras ) will continue .
the partnership between samsung and pentax will be based on sharing their respective competencies to enhance competitiveness in digital cameras .
hoya also held a board meeting on tuesday at which it decided to continue discussing a potential merger with pentax .
the pentax kp incorporates additional advanced technologies and ease - of - use features that have long been the hallmark of pentax cameras and enable them to be used comfortably and reliably in a wide range of conditions . these include :
“i am delighted that pentax medical has further invested into simmedica , as spain and portugal are promising markets for us and we are eager to drive our growth and bring our market leading products and services to as many customers in these countries as possible , ” said rainer burkard , managing director of pentax europe gmbh and president of pentax medical emea .
pentax imaging corporation ' s subsidiaries shown below have been transferred to the new company as of october 1 , 2011 .
ricoh imaging wishes to announce the release of firmware update software version 1 . 02 for pentax k - 1 mark ii
pentax have produced many different types of lens for the k - mount . they are summarized in the table below .
the pentax board will decide on its response to the hoya tender offer at a meeting on tuesday , urano said .
pentax medical’s hd stroboscopy system consists of the strobe light source and hd recording module , delivering sharp , vibrant hd 1080i video images and unparalleled stroboscopy . only pentax medical offers true flashing stroboscopy with a unique pitch tracking dual microphone design .
pentax medical and smart medical systems announce strategic pan - european alliance that will change the standard of care in colonoscopy .
hitachi is the sole partner of pentax to sell and service pentax ultrasound endoscopes on the german market . with its technically and medically highly qualified eus specialists hitachi offers an unprecedented level of support to eus experts on the clinical user side .
through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community .
sistemas integrales de medicina joined the pentax group in april 2001 as an exclusive distributor of pentax - brand medical endoscopes . after recording annual sales of 3 . 3 million in 2003 and 4 . 4 million in 2004 , its sales are expected to reach 7 . 3 million in 2005 . both pentax corporation and pentax europe hope to further penetrate the spanish medical products market through sistemas integrales de medicina , and increase the current endoscope segment share significantly and as quickly as possible .
pentax medical , a division of hoya corporation , announced the appointment of dr . hudson garrett to the position of global chief clinical officer . in this executive role , hudson garrett is responsible for leading all pentax medical clinical related activities globally .
pentax europe gmbh , a division of hoya corporation , announced girts cimermans has been appointed president europe , middle east and africa . in this new executive role , girts cimermans is responsible for leading all pentax life care activities in european regions .
« k - 1000 x flash terminal cover | pentax mx - exposure measurement issue . . . and a question . »
also , don ' t forget the 50 / 600mm asahi pentax scopes . they have wonderful optics and focusers as well .
shares of pentax jumped 7 % after hoya said it would make a tender offer for the japanese camera and medical equipment maker , but it remains unclear whether the bid will succeed with pentax ' s board split and its president set to resign .
pentax’s stock had jumped 9 percent in the previous session on hoya’s announcement that it would switch to a tender offer scheme , offering 770 yen per share , or one - fifth above pentax’s implied price based on a swap ratio announced in december .
there are actual images taken with a variety of lenses . the photographs of the pentax k - 1 users can be viewed
cp + 2018 : hands - on with the pentax k - 1 mark ii and d fa * 50mm f1 . 4
media contact : kaori kawashima gm , corporate communications & product branding pentax medical hoya group email : kaori . kawashima @ urltoken
contact : kaori kawashima , gm , global marketing communication , pentax medical , hoya group email : kaori . kawashima @ urltoken
a manual slr manufactured from 1976 to 1997 , a very long run for a camera . they still have quite a following today and fetch rather high prices on ebay . the pentax k1000 is very similar in design and feel to the earlier spotmatics and earlier pentax cameras like my hv3 above . the k1000 uses pentax k bayonet mount lenses , however , instead of m42 screw mount lenses . metering is open aperture which was only true of spotmatic f in the older pentax cameras . excellent information is contained at
digital camera utility 5 update version ( 5 . 8 . 1 ) / pentax tethered capture plug - in for adobe® photoshop® lightroom®
pentax me - f , the world ' s first through - the - lens ( ttl ) slr autofocus camera is introduced .
pentax k - 70 dslr ( black ) with da 18 - 135mm f / 3 . 5 - 5 . 6 wr lens
pentax medical launches optivista - epk - i7010 video processor . a world first for endoscopy , digital and optical enhancements working in combination
“the launch of vivideo is yet another illustration of pentax medical ' s commitment to improving the clinical and economic value of our products for our customers . the launch of vivideo also marks a milestone in pentax medical ' s journey to develop products based on the needs and requirements of our worldwide base of existing and prospective customers , ” said ganesh ramaswamy , global president of pentax medical .
pentax europe gmbh ina schreuder , + 49 - 40 - 56192 - 0 marketing communications manager emea schreuder . ina @ urltoken urltoken
news ! - hoya raises pentax offer i just read the news brief from imaging resource after reading their k10d review haha . . . and hooray for pentax for at least trying to keep the company going . the article says how the board members rejected the offer and plan to reject a new offer by hoya . perhaps this k10d is working well in restoring pentax ' s former glory .
finally pentax said godbye to the screwmount m42 that was out - dated more than a decade , and introduced a bayonet connector - similar to ihagee , miranda . minolta , zunow , nikon , canon and other did long before . different to them , pentax left the
hoya said it plans to buy a majority stake in pentax in a tender offer with a price 19 % above pentax ' s theoretical price of 648 yen , based on the earlier swap ratio and hoya ' s closing price of 4 , 100 yen on friday .
fumio urano , the president of pentax , resigned last month , after a boardroom coup during which the camera maker’s merger with hoya was questioned and ultimately scrapped . it is understood that takashi watanuki , the new president , and other board members favour maintaining pentax’s independence .
pentax medical and smart indicated their planned cooperation at the united european gastroenterology week ( uegw ) , recently held in berlin , germany .
there ' s only one shop in dubai that sells pentax , and the q doesn ' t exist here at all . . .
about pentax europe gmbh - pentax europe gmbh is a division of hoya corporation and its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on quality , clinically relevant innovation , and simplicity . through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community . headquartered in japan , pentax has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . pentax employees represent the diverse countries where we do business , allowing us to provide innovative solutions tailored to meet local needs .
another coup by pentax with the use of a pentaprism in the viewfinder of the asahi pentax slr . before that , you held your camera at waist level and looked straight down into an open viewfinder . the pentaprism allows eye - level viewing and provides an upright and laterally correct image . it is also the first time that the name pentax ( penta prism refle x ) is used on a camera .
london october 12 - pentax and samsung have announced that they have entered into an agreement to share resource , expertise and intellectual property in developing the next generation of slr cameras - combing pentax ' s unrivalled optical heritage with samsung ' s leading edge expertise in digital technology .
‘we are very happy to work with pentax in germany as we are combining the specialism of endoscope washing and disinfection with the innovative knowledge in the field of endoscopy from pentax’s side’ says mr ronald wassenburg , managing director of the dutch wassenburg medical devices b . v . ‘the use of the high level pentax products and the state - of - the - art wassenburg® endoscope reprocessing systems are a winning combination . ’
pentax pc series ( e . g . pc - 33 , pc35 af - m , pc - 300 date , pc - 606w )
pentax said urano would resign effective tuesday . he will be replaced by takashi watanuki , who will hold a news conference at 0900 gmt .
continued joint partnership between pentax medical and hitachi medical systems europe drives innovation and new standards in image quality in endoscopic ultrasound ( eus ) .
contact : pentax europe gmbh katharina meitzler , + 49 - 40 - 56192 - 0 project manager marketing communications emea katharina . meitzler @ urltoken
pentax can support the early detection of colorectal cancer on a technical level by implementing innovative examination technologies . with its high - definition hd + video endoscopic hi line system , pentax provides the highest resolution and best coloscopic imaging to date , thus establishing new standards in this sphere .
pentax europe - photography shops & services - julius - vosseler - str . 104 , stellingen , hamburg , germany - phone number - yelp
headquartered in japan , pentax has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . pentax employees represent the diverse countries where we do business , allowing us to provide innovative solutions tailored to meet local needs .
the pentax deal is hoya ' s latest and biggest bet to open new avenues into highly lucrative markets . pentax is known for its expertise in advanced digital cameras , medical endoscopes and lenses used in dvd players , but it has suffered from low profitability amid competition and lack of efficiency .
pentax medical and hitachi medical systems europe announce the launch of a new ultrasound video bronchoscope ( ebus ) in combination with hitachi’s innovative ultrasound systems .
smart’s g - eye™ endoscope , which will increase the detection of cancerous polyps in colonoscopy , is now commercially available through pentax medical in emea .
the naviaid™ bge is manufactured by smart medical systems ltd . and exclusively distributed in the emea region ( excluding israel ) by pentax europe gmbh .
david moore , managing director , pentax uk , comments :
this is a great step forward for pentax as this agreement gives the company invaluable access to samsung ' s far - reaching expertise in digital technology . this can only serve to help our own engineering teams better understand how to make the most from new technologies in driving forward the slr market and for pentax to retain its position as a pioneer in the photographic marketplace .
in july , 2011 ricoh announced its intentions to purchase the pentax photographic - equipment business from hoya ( who , however , will retain some pentax - branded medical product lines , etc ) [ 7 ] . in august of 2013 , the name of the company has been changed to ricoh imaging . the ricoh branding are to be used on compact cameras while pentax branded products will be on dslr , interchangeable lens compact cameras and binoculars .
the 1980 ' s were probably the golden days of pentax . they produced the pentax lx , which was a professional grade body ( which predated the ka mount upgrade , and during the 1980 ' s pentax released a whole family of professional lenses and exotic log lenses . these longlenses are still coveted today . if they have white paint on them and were sold with a trunk for a case they are among the exotic ' s .
“we are pleased to be investing in an organization with a proven record of innovation in a business that aligns seamlessly with pentax medical’s cutting - edge flexible endoscopes portfolio . this investment grants us access to an innovative electrosurgical platform and accelerates pentax medical’s strategy of more effectively serving physicians and their patients in a rapidly evolving health care industry by expanding into the vital endoscopic therapy space . ” remarks david woods , chief marketing officer , pentax medical .
this strategic partnership enable pentax to develop its slr product portfolio yet further , delivering all - round improved performance across its range of slr cameras . already holding a position of strength in the slr market , this development will only serve to cement and enhance pentax ' s position in the market .
headquartered in japan , pentax medical has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . pentax medical employees represent the diverse countries where we do business , allowing us to provide innovative solutions tailored to meet local needs .
[ tokyo december 21 , 2006 ] hoya corporation ( “hoya” ) and pentax corporation ( “pentax” ) announced today that they have reached a basic understanding aimed at a management integration of the two companies , expected to be completed on october 1 , 2007 . the new company’s name will be hoya pentax hd corporation . under a corporate center with strategic planning functions , the new company will realign the business areas of hoya and pentax . hoya and pentax have recognized that they are the best possible business partners to establish a solid business structure that draws on their respective strengths . through this management integration , the planned new structure will allow the new company to swiftly allocate significant management resources to develop strategic business areas , aiming at accelerating future growth .
san diego , ca - - ( marketwire – 10th of april 2013 ) - spectrascience , inc . ( otcqb : scie ) , a san diego - based medical device company and pentax europe gmbh ( pentax medical herein after ) jointly announce that they have agreed on expanded distribution of the wavstat4 optical biopsy system in europe . increased deployments of the wavstat4 system is expected in the pentax medical fiscal year ( april 2013 – march 2014 ) .
about pentax medical pentax medical is a division of hoya group . its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on quality , clinically relevant innovation , and simplicity . through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community . headquartered in japan , pentax medical has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . for more information , please visit : urltoken .
about pentax medical pentax medical is a division of hoya group . its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on quality , clinically relevant innovation , and simplicity . through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community . headquartered in japan , pentax medical has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . for more information , please visit : urltoken .
samsung announces agreement with pentax to co - operate and jointly develop new digital camera products . this will broaden the product range to offer consumers greater choice
earlier , hoya corporation ( president & ceo : hiroshi suzuki ; hereinafter referred to as
hoya
) transferred the pentax imaging systems business to pentax imaging corporation , a newly established subsidiary of hoya , through an absorption - type split ( spin off ) and business transfer . ricoh has acquired all shares outstanding in pentax imaging corporation , as of today , completing the transaction . ricoh also changed the name of the company at the same time .
many pentax cameras were sold stamped with the name
honeywell
. actually honeywell was only a distributor , and these cameras were exactly the same as the ones stamped with the asahi name . but more and more pentax became a big brand , especially for slr . thus after a while the company offered not just 35mm slrs but also complete camera systems around its pentax 67 slr for rollfilm and its tiny and popular pentax auto 110 for type 110 film cassettes . and in 1975 pentax tried to take the lead with a new lens bayonet with same flange / film distance as the m42 screw mount , thus making it easier for lens makers to offer lenses for both mounts . in fact it should be an open bayonet standard , and really , a handful of other renowned camera makers used the pentax ' s k - mount too : zenit , topcon , chinon , cosina , ricoh , samsung . but most important : the mount was further developed and still in use for pentax ' s digital slrs and even for one of its cscs .
under the initial agreement in december , hoya was to swap 0 . 158 of its shares for each pentax share , for a premium of 10 percent based on share prices then . but pentax has been trading at a premium to the ratio amid speculation that shareholders would reject hoya ' s terms .
if hoya were to turn hostile , pentax may use a
poison pill
takeover defense . pentax introduced a
trust - type poison pill ,
with the approval of shareholders in 2005 . this gives shareholders the right to buy new shares cheaply if an unsolicited bidder for the company emerges .
the joint partnership between hitachi and pentax medical will continue to grow , with both companies working together to provide future developments in digestive and respiratory medicine .
on behalf of the federal state of rhineland - palatinate , pentax europe gmbh is pleased to announce the appointment of dr ralf kiesslich as university professor .
the new pentax kp ultra - compact , weatherproof dslr camera boasts features and controls optimized for delivering outstanding images , even in the most challenging conditions .
september 17 , 2015 , tokyo – hoya group pentax medical has entered into an agreement to invest in creo medical ltd . , a leading electrosurgical energy devices company based in the u . k . the official documents formalizing the agreement were signed on september 10 , 2015 — subject to regulatory approvals by the relevant authorities , pentax medical has acquired an interest in creo medical ltd . pentax medical has identified endoscopic therapeutic devices as a priority area in its growth strategy , and equity participation in creo medical ltd . accelerates pentax medical’s expansion of their footprint in the therapeutics segment through a lineup of differentiated products .
enrico piero bassani , president of movi s . p . a , commented : “pentax italia has been a successful company for many years , thanks to the strong commitment of both shareholders that worked very positively together . the acquisition of our minority share by pentax europe gmbh was a natural step for us and of course we wish pentax italia to continue its development , to increase the market share , and keep a strong position in our important market . ”
/ prnewswire / - - ricoh imaging americas corporation today announced the pentax kp , an ultra - compact and highly portable dslr with features and controls that facilitate capturing outstanding images , even in the most demanding conditions . the pentax kp packs many of the advanced capabilities of the award - winning pentax k - 3 series into a modern , slim - body design that lends itself to applications from casual snapshots to serious outdoor photography while mountain climbing or trekking . the pentax kp also adds a new generation of innovations including a new , highly sensitive aps - c cmos sensor and is the first pentax aps - c camera to incorporate shake reduction ii ( sr ii ) , which features a five - axis mechanism to compensate for camera shake up to 5 steps .
hoya corporation ( hoya ) and pentax corporation ( both japan ) have reached a basic understanding aimed at a management integration of the two companies , expected to be completed on 1st october 2007 . the new company’s name will be hoya pentax hd corporation . the future of the surveying division is yet uncertain .
pentax es with the world ' s first ttl automatic exposure control . up to this point , the only exposure mode is manual . the pentax es added aperture priority mode . the photographer selects an aperture , and the camera selects an electronically controlled shutter speed for proper exposure . pentax also introduces the super - multi coating ( smc ) system for the asahi optical takumar lens series . the smc system reduces lens flare and ghost images . spotmatic sp500 introduced .
about pentax medical pentax medical is a division of hoya group . its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on quality , clinically relevant innovation , and simplicity . through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community . headquartered in japan , pentax medical has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . for more information , please visit : www . pentaxmedical . com .
samsung holds superb digital image processing technologies , digital convergence technologies and world - wide brand recognition in digital appliance markets . its partner , pentax , has developed slr cameras using penta prism technology . pentax possesses a wide range of high - performance interchangeable lenses as well as cutting edge technologies for high precision cameras .
pentax ricoh imaging company was formed october 1 , 2011 as a wholly owned subsidiary of ricoh company ltd . to provide more consumer–oriented offerings to the market .
thank you for the wonderful information ! it will be summarized in a forthcoming 2 - page february 2009 article called ' classic telescopes : a walk through hodierna ' s auriga with an asahi pentax refractor . ' apparently the small 60mm pentax scope was sold from about the early 1950s through the mid - 1960s .
katharina meitzler project manager marketing communications pentax europe gmbh tel . : + 49 - 40 - 56192 - 0 e - mail : katharina . meitzler @ urltoken
canon seems to be the biggest company to cripple sigmas offerings . my pentax sigma glass works on every camera i own , as does my tokina stuff .
thanks for the insight from other countries . if this is the case pentax is likely in trouble and will have a hard time to grow the brand .
“hudson joins pentax medical with valuable expertise gained from various segments of the medical field on the vender and provider side” , said david woods , global cmo of pentax medical , hoya group . “he has the credentials and expertise to oversee pentax medical’s clinical activities by working with our customers , industry partners and internal team members to develop and deliver high quality products cost effectively with attention to provider and patient satisfaction . ’ “i am committed to make the best use of my clinical background in infection prevention , control and clinical affairs to position pentax medical as a thought leader in medical device hygiene , evidence - based clinical education , and clinical research” , dr . garrett says . “i am committed to ensuring we clearly demonstrate the pentax medical ethos of offering clinically advanced evidence - based products . ”
the asahiflex ii a was introduced , differing only from the ii b in that it had positioned on the front of the camera a separate dial for the slow shutter speeds . two years later the name pentax appeared when the first asahi pentax camera was introduced , and it was at this stage that the new eye - level pentaprism finder was incorporated . indeed , this model of the new asahi pentax set the basic design and shape of the latest models that we know today .
please take a look at my various pentax pages . all these pages contain pictures , diagrams and information which isn ' t offered anywhere else in the web :
japanese version of the news release ( archived ) found in the hoya official website . the name
hoya pentax hd corporation
is written in capital letters .
hoya and pentax said they would merge some businesses , such as their medical device operations , but that pentax ' s struggling digital camera division would remain a stand - alone unit and be
specialized into areas it could compete effectively .
some observers felt this could leave the door open to the unit being sold .
hoya said tuesday it was waiting for a response from pentax about a tender offer it proposed april 7 , and reiterated it would continue to pursue a merger .
on the tokyo stock exchange tuesday , pentax shares ended down 3 . 9 % at y769 . hoya closed down 1 . 2 % at y4 , 090 .
the pentax medical ultrasound endoscopes are explicitly designed for use with hitachi’s sophisticated ultrasound systems , taking advantage of their most innovative features to meet clinician and patient needs .
hamburg , 21 june 2017 – pentax medical europe announces the launch of profile single - use cleaning brushes for endoscope reprocessing to the emea market . this range of disposable brushes has been designed to meet the high standards expected of pentax medical , with a focus on patient safety and hygiene . in addition to its high quality endoscope offerings , pentax medical is committed to providing a complete and hygienic solution for endoscopy that also includes hygiene consumables , accessories , and tools for advanced therapy .
katharina meitzler project manager marketing communications , pentax europe gmbh tel . : + 49 - 40 - 56192 - 0 e - mail : meitzler . katharina @ urltoken
rainer burkard , presidente emea di pentax medical , ha affermato che “sia pentax medical che smart medical systems sono impegnate nel distribuire il sistema g - eye per incrementare l’adr nell’endoscopia . noi di pentax medical siamo lieti di offrire soluzioni che integrano la tecnologia g - eye di smart medical sui nostri sistemi innovativi di endoscopia hd + . crediamo che questo possa trasformare le attuali procedure di rilevamento degli adenomi , come è stato comprovato da uno studio multicentrico prospettico randomizzato , supportato da entrambe le aziende . ”
for generations transcending the history of film cameras , pentax has accumulated wide - ranging know - how in the development and manufacture of slr cameras . and through the optimal application of its optical technologies and experience in interchangeable lenses , pentax has extended its expertise and unshakable brand power to the development , manufacture and sales of digital cameras .
through combining their individual strengths and working together in synergy , pentax and samsung techwin are devoted to supplying attractive digital camera products tailored to the needs of individual markets .
( picture ) . similar to exakta varex are press diaphragm and changable prisms . bajonet mount . in the early 60 ' s the same selling success as pentax .
pentax espio iqzoom series ( e . g . espio , espio 928 , espio 115 , mini , iqzoom 135m date , zoom60 - x , zoom95 - wr )
that said , i love this 58 / 2 . 4 lens . can you imagine : a real heliar formula lens on your pentax delivering smooooth bokeh . . .
fumio urano ( current pentax president & ceo ) will become chairman of the board and hiroshi suzuki ( current hoya president and ceo ) will become president & ceo .
hoya has not officially proposed the tender offer to pentax but plans to hold a board meeting as soon as tuesday to finalise the decision , according to a spokeswoman .
contact : katharina meitzler project manager marketing communications pentax europe gmbh tel . : + 49 - 40 - 56192 - 0 e - mail : katharina . meitzler @ urltoken
hamburg , germany , 7 november 2016 – pentax medical highlighted “quality in focus : new technologies pushing boundaries” at uegw 2016 , displaying its very latest endoscopic technology designed to support the clinical pathway through enhanced diagnosis and treatment . outside of the booth , pentax medical provided a number of expert lectures , live training and customer sessions . these included a blackbox innovations™ room , i - scan™ certification sessions , introductions to the recently launched my pentax medical portal and the annual expert dinner held at the hofburg vienna .
has a summary about the history of pentax . this k1000 is in good cosmetic condition but does not work . the film advance lever would only turn with a grind and then stopped . the shutter will not fire . the camera was made is china . it came with a very compact 70 - 210mm f4 - 5 . 6 promaster lens in well used but working condition and a wonderful , but very well used , smc ( super multi - coated ) pentax - a , 28 - 135 , f4 . 0 ( constant aperture ) lens . the pentax 28 - 135 lens works but the front element has several shallow scratches and the filter threads appear to be somewhat stripped . unfortunately on closer examination it appears the zoom doesn ' t work - bummer ! pentax k mount lenses apparently work on all pentax cameras since 1976 including pentax digital slr cameras . i purchased this camera at a garage sale in the fall of 2005 with the lenses , about a dozen filters and a case for $ 30 .
designed exclusively for pentax medical endoscopes , the use of these dedicated brushes supports compliance with pentax medical instructions for use and recommended reprocessing practices , according to guidelines issued by gastroenterology associations around the globe . esge and esgena guidelines recommend a switch from reusable to disposable brushes to allow for maximum effectiveness of cleaning and to avoid tissue carryover 1 .
based on these analyses , hoya obtained a fairness opinion from ubs investment bank , and pentax from morgan stanley , regarding the merger ratio from a financial point of view .
analysts have said hoya ' s swift management style and its vow to open corporate governance may help pentax speed up decision - making , cut costs and grab market share .
hamburg , 17 th may 2016 – pentax medical has acquired majority shares of simmedica – sistemas integrales de medicina , s . a . , based in madrid , spain .
the eb - 1990i hd + bronchoscope is the latest in the family of hd + endoscopes from pentax . the eb - 1990i hd + bronchoscope provides users with excellent image quality and leading ergonomics . built on pentax’s industry leading hd + processors the eb - 1990i helps physicians clearly visualize the bronchial airways for increased clinical confidence in their diagnosis .
seoul , korea — pentax and samsung techwin co . , ltd . today signed an agreement allowing both parties to combine their unique technologies to develop interchangeable lens digital slr cameras .
the company’s goal is to leverage the tremendous strength and awareness of the ricoh brand along with the superior technical innovation of pentax products to deliver a world - class consumer experience .
pentax , japan’s oldest maker of single - lens reflex cameras , has set its hopes on a white knight saving it from a hostile takeover by hoya , the specialist glassmaker .
pentax medical is a division of hoya group . its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on quality , clinically relevant innovation , and simplicity . through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community . headquartered in japan , pentax medical has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe .
rainer burkard , president emea , pentax medical commented , “both pentax medical and smart medical systems are committed to the distribution of the g - eye system to increase adr across the endoscopy community . at pentax medical , we are pleased to offer the integrated solution of smart medical’s g - eye technology with our innovative hd + endoscopy systems . we believe it has the capabilities to transform current adenoma detection practices , which is a statement that has been validated through a prospective randomized multi - center study , supported by both companies . ”
pentax medical is a division of hoya group . its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on quality , clinically relevant innovation , and simplicity . through leading edge r & d and manufacturing , pentax medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community . headquartered in japan , pentax medical has a worldwide focus and presence with r & d , regional sales , service , and in - country facilities around the globe . pentax medical employees represent the diverse countries where we do business , allowing us to provide innovative solutions tailored to meet local needs . for more information , please visit : urltoken .
i like pentax cameras since the very first
real
camera i took photos with was my fathers pentax sp screwmount , with a great 1 . 4 / 50mm lens , in the 1978 - 1980 years . i stil can remember beeing impressed by a very solid , precise , quality feel of this camera . the first camera i bought from my own money was a pentax me , but this wasn ' t the same . i should have bought the mx instead of . now i have one , together with her ancestry .
the full portfolio of profile single - use cleaning brushes from pentax medical includes nine different competitively priced models , exclusively designed to cover most of pentax medical’s endoscopes . the range includes six long channel brushes and three short channel brushes . a pull - through technique takes advantage of the bristles located at one end of the brushes to facilitate proper and complete cleaning .
the very latest innovations in endoscopy from pentax medical were also demonstrated and discussed in the blackbox innovations room . groups of specially selected clinicians were invited to share the most up - to - date developments , prototypes and ideas from the product and r & d teams from pentax medical . the blackbox innovations program builds on the great partnerships between pentax medical and its customers , ensuring a global approach to endoscopic r & d and bringing together all of the elements required to identify , understand and deliver against the clinical unmet needs in the market .
samsung has entered a partnership with pentax to co - develop digital slrs . pentax has already launched four digital slrs , while the samsung ' s 8mp 15x zoom pro815 is the closest its got to a high end camera , with a price tag to match . the two companies will share ' their respective competencies to enhance competitiveness in digital cameras ' . samsung will bring digital image processing technologies , brand recognition and digital convergence technologies to the table , while pentax , whose slrs use penta prism technology , possesses a wide range of interchangeable lenses .
for more than twenty years pentax europe gmbh and hitachi medical systems gmbh have entertained a successful strategic partnership in the area of endoscopic ultrasound ( eus ) , combining the pentax optical / endoscopic expertise with hitachi medical systems’ ultrasound core competence . within the framework of this collaboration a series of state - of - the - art ultrasound endoscopes were jointly developed ; the latest one being the pentax eg - 3270uk , which takes user - and patient friendliness to a new level by its exceptional thinness compared with equivalent products in the market as of today .
pentax corporation initiated its second three - year middle - term management plan in april 2004 , under the theme of
growth and expansion .
this capital investment was made by pentax europe to advance a transition from conservative strategic investment to aggressive strategic investment ,  which is one of the primary objectives of this new management plan . it allows pentax europe to firmly establish a direct domestic marketing network of endoscopes in spain , which is one of the major european markets , and also to reinforce its overall endoscope sales operations within the eu market .
, president , ricoh imaging americas .
from pixel shift resolution to our new generation of shake reduction , pentax proudly continues to lead the way in photographer - friendly innovation .
honeywell pentax h3v , circa 1963 . i have two of these . my brother bought the first one in 1968 with the idea of taking surfing photographs . he never pursued that . my parents eventually bought it for me in the mid 1970s . the shutter is now frozen . i acquired the second one in november 2002 which got me started buying cameras on e - bay . this second camera works well and comes with external meter shown above . the camera has no internal meter . the manual is available at the pentax site at pentax manual .


virgin care is a private provider of services to the national health service in england .

it owns 24 gp-led provider companies that provide nhs services through networks of gp surgeries ; and community-based nhs services .

virgin care

virgin care ' s financial set - up is very complicated and active companies include virgin care services ltd , virgin care ltd , virgin care provider services , virgin care corporate services ltd and several limited liability partnerships ( llps ) .
virgin care said it was
pleased to be chosen to deliver more joined - up care
.
for example , the contract in devon is with virgin care ltd , whereas the contracts in wiltshire , kent , surrey and staffordshire are with virgin care services ltd and the contracts in croydon and hastings area are with virgin care provider services ltd . the primary care contracts are with a number of different llps , including virgin care coventry llp , virgin care leeds llp and virgin care liverpool llp . in the year to end march 2017 there were at least 13 active llps .
virgin healthcare holdings and virgin uk holdings ltd are subsidiaries of virgin group holdings ltd , which is registered in the british virgin islands and owned by richard branson .
over the past few years virgin care has been successful in acquiring numerous medium to large contracts for community care .
since virgin care started on their journey , they have been focused on delivering high quality care , good value and the fantastic customer service you’d expect from virgin .
jsuk news -
richard branson’s virgin care has started . . . | facebook
preparations will now begin for services to be transferred to virgin care on april1st 2017 .
preparations will now begin for services to be transferred to virgin care on 1 april 2017 .
private healthcare provider virgin care has been awarded a £700m contract to run a council’s community care and health services despite protests from residents .
care australia and virgin australia today announced a partnership to support care’s work with thousands of poor communities in the asia - pacific region .
“virgin care could demonstrate through documentary evidence that following acquisition of services , they had managed to bring about a sustained , significant improvement to patient care . ” cqc report on virgin care services limited nhs community services in august 2017 .
the contract – the first time a for - profit organisation will deliver a council’s social care programme for adults – will see virgin care run or oversee more than 200 nhs health care and social care services in the area .
bath and north east somerset council have awarded a 7 year contract to virgin care to deliver community health and care services in the area .
virgin care has been awarded another pair of nhs contracts after being announced as the new community and urgent care provider by west lancashire ccg .
virgin care , part of sir richard branson’s business empire , already holds nearly 330 nhs contracts .
virgin care refute suggestions that the company will not pay tax at some point in the future .
the ultimate owners of virgin care and virgin group holdings ltd include trusts registered in the british virgin islands whose beneficiaries are richard branson and his family . the british virgin islands are a tax haven and entities registered there pay no tax . as a result of the link with the british virgin islands , questions have been raised over whether tax would be paid in the uk if virgin care made a profit .
in 2017 , virgin care ran over 400 nhs services , but despite the scale of its business the company shows no signs of making a profit . indeed , according to its accounts , since 2010 the company has recorded an annual loss in the uk . as virgin care ltd makes no profit in the uk , the company pays no tax in the uk . however , virgin care ltd is a small entity in richard branson’s virgin empire . virgin care’s ultimate parent company is virgin group holdings ltd registered in the tax haven of the british virgin islands .
under the contract , virgin care will run three statutory services – adult social care , continuing healthcare and children’s community health – from april 2017 .
a £700m contract to provide community health and care in bath and north east somerset over the next seven years has been approved for virgin care .
services will be transferred from not - for - profit social enterprise sirona to virgin care next april .
the deal will see virgin care take over more than 200 health and care services in people ' s homes and communities , in such areas as district nursing , dementia care and supporting vulnerable children .
“virgin care could demonstrate through documentary evidence that following acquisition of services , they had managed to bring about a sustained , significant improvement to patient care . ”
richard branson’s virgin care is to take over sheppey and sittingbourne hospitals as part of a £126 million deal .
virgin is to become the first private firm to run adult social care after winning a controversial £700million contract .
virgin care has started a high court action against nhs bodies and surrey county council over a procurement dispute .
the move by virgin care to acquire 100 % ownership was reported to be due to possible conflicts of interest between gps in the virgin care practices and the newly introduced ccgs . it appears that many gps chose to take full control of the gp provider companies , rather than relinquish control to virgin care and by 2015 , the number of contracts for primary care services , including gp services , held by virgin care had reduced substantially to 30 , 19 of which were gp practices .
concerns over care quality began in 2012 , when channel 4 ' s documentary series dispatches focused on virgin care ' s business in a programme entitled ' getting rich on the nhs ' . the programme reported on virgin care ' s clinic in northampton , which patients claim has become over reliant on locum gps and virgin care had failed in its commitment to extend opening hours .
the community hospitals , community nursing , intermediate care , community neuro rehabilitation , speech and language therapy , podiatry and continence services will all transfer to virgin care .
in july 2012 virgin care won a three year £131 million contract to provide a range of core nhs and social care services for children and adolescents in devon .
virgin care provides health and care services across the country . since 2006 they have treated more than six million people , making sure that everyone feels the difference .
then in october 2017 , hsj reported that virgin care was demanding an extra £5 million from east staffordshire ccg .
part of the virgin group , we make a real difference to people’s lives through our health and care services .
we’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done . you can hear more about virgin care from sir richard branson and our chief executive bart johnson , and read about sir richard branson’s pride for virgin care in his blog here .
a tory - led council last night agreed sir richard branson’s virgin care could run more than 200 nhs services .
the end of life care contract had three remaining bidders : virgin care , optum and an interserve consortium . however , in july 2017 the process was abandoned entirely .
the private company will run or oversee more than 200 health care and social care services in the area .
virgin care has two arms to its business in the hnhs : primary care services , including gp services and walk - in centres ; and community - based nhs services .
virgin care’s strategy has been to target large contracts containing numerous services in the area of community health and social care and increase the use of digital technology to reduce costs .
each limited company and llp reports its turnover individually , however they are all subsidiaries of virgin care ltd , which in turn is a subsidiary of the holding company virgin healthcare holdings ltd .
in 2016 the end of virgin care’s surrey - wide community health contract loomed and the whole process of tendering began again . interestingly , the ccgs in surrey decided to split the large contract that had been run by virgin care , into smaller contracts .
primary and secondary school immunisation programme in devon awarded to virgin care in december 2017 valued at almost £4 . 7 million over ;
please call our customer experience team on 0300 303 9509 . alternatively , you can phone virgin care directly on 0330 332 7890 .
treatment for people with diabetes will be among the services operated by virgin care under the deal . photograph : peter byrne / pa
virgin australia’s support also includes providing flights for care aid workers to reach poor communities and helping care to deploy staff experts to assist communities affected by emergencies in the asia - pacific region .
with the bath and north east somerset contract won in 2016 , virgin care became the first private company to take over adult social care services , including social workers . the essex contract won in 2017 also contains a large chunk of social care .
virgin care ltd is registered in the uk , however , an analysis by richard murphy , a chartered accountant at tax research uk , found 13 holding companies , some of them offshore , between virgin care and its ultimate parent company , virgin group holdings ltd based in the tax haven of the british virgin islands . virgin group holdings ltd’s principal beneficiaries are sir richard branson , reported to have a net worth of £2 . 7bn , and his family . according to murphy’s analysis , this type of company structure makes it unlikely that virgin care will pay any tax in the uk in the foreseeable future .
dr john caine , chair of the ccg , said : “we are pleased to announce that virgin care has been successful in this process . through the bid virgin care demonstrated a true understanding of our vision and we are assured it will deliver a quality service for our local community within this new model of care . ”
despite the company structure , which makes it unlikely to pay any tax in the uk in the foreseeable future , according to murphy , virgin care recently won contracts worth £500m to provide 30 primary care services across england , including gp practices , gp out - of - hours services , walk - in centres , urgent care centres and minor injury units . its website claims virgin care , which became part of the virgin group in 2010 , runs 230 nhs and social care services while employing 5 , 500 people .
private firm virgin care is to take over running nhs community health services in two parts of surrey in a £500m ( €605m ; $ 791m ) deal agreed with the local primary care trust .
as a result of losing the tender bidding process for a children ' s community care contract in surrey , virgin care l aunched legal proceedings in november 2016 against all eight commissioning organisations involved in the contract . a spokesman for virgin care told hsj that concerns about “serious flaws in the procurement process” prompted the company to launch proceedings .
a virgin care spokesman added : “we have been providing community health and care services for a decade , working with a range of partners to look after more than a million people a year . ”
virgin care provider services reported turnover of £5 . 4 million leading to a loss of £407 thousand for the year to end march 2017 .
according to the bath chronicle , it is understood virgin care will reinvest any profit made from its services in bath and north east somerset .
this support has already begun , with virgin australia supporting care to get additional staff into vanuatu after cyclone pam devastated the pacific island nation .
dr newton - howes added that virgin australia’s support would be critical in helping care deliver life - saving aid during times of international crises .
claire heneghan , chief nurse of nhs west lancashire ccg , said virgin care would “develop and enhance community and local walk - in and out of hour’s services” in order to relieve pressures on urgent care .
an analysis by richard murphy , a chartered accountant at tax research uk , has found 13 holding companies , some of them offshore , between virgin care and its ultimate parent company , based in the british virgin islands .
in march 2015 , an investigation by richard murphy , a chartered accountant at tax research uk , highlighted the use of tax havens by virgin care and other private companies working with the nhs . the investigation found 13 holding companies , some of them offshore , between virgin care and its ultimate parent company , based in the british virgin islands , a tax haven .
sir richard branson’s health firm , virgin care , has won a £700m contract to deliver 200 types of nhs and social care services to more than 200 , 000 people in bath and north - east somerset .
virgin care won a £280 million contract in march 2015 to provide services for the frail and elderly in east staffordshire . virgin care will be the prime provider under this seven - year contract and could sub - contract the work to other organisations . this is a fixed - price contract .
since we started on our journey we’ve been focused on delivering high quality care , good value and the fantastic customer service you’d expect from virgin .
judge deems decision to select virgin care as preferred bidder for county’s £132m children services contract was initially unlawful but rules deal should not be quashed .
virgin care was chosen over a consortium led by the social enterprise sirona care and health , which included avon and wiltshire mental health partnership trust , royal united hospitals bath foundation trust , dorothy house hospice care , and the gp organisation bath and north east somerset enhanced medical services .
virgin care has been very successful in winning contracts with the nhs , but if it does not win , the company will turn to the courts .
virgin care bid for but did not win the surrey - wide children ' s community care contract ; this was awarded to an alliance between surrey and borders partnership foundation trust and two social enterprises , csh surrey and first community health . the three year contract was worth £82 million . previously virgin care had run these services together with csh surrey and first community health .
there are concerns with the way virgin care runs its gp services . the sutherland lodge practice in chelmsford , essex , was taken over by virgin in july 2016 after the previous partners handed back their contracts following £400 , 000 funding cuts to their contract . prior to the takeover , the practice was rated outstanding , but in may 2018 the care quality commission ( cqc ) rated the surgery inadequate overall . the rating is based on an inspection carried out in december 2017 just 18 months after virgin care took over the practice . virgin care also received more money for the contract than the previous gps .
the procurement process for both the end - of - life care and cancer care since 2013 has cost the commissioners over £840 , 000 .
hsj reported that minutes from the burton hospitals’ board meeting on 12 january said : “the trust would have been in a position to sign the contract had it been able to reach an agreement with virgin care , however , this had not been possible…virgin care were discussing their contract issues with the ccg and a meeting had been scheduled between nhs england , nhs improvement , virgin care and the ccg…virgin care was clear that its issues with the ccg would need to be resolved prior to entering into a contract agreement with the trust . ” this could have a major impact on the burton hospitals foundation trust ' s finances .
virgin care did not win the bristol contract , but the issue of tax avoidance did not disappear . in 2016 , campaigners reiterated their concerns over tax avoidance as well as other issues whilst campaigning against privatisation of community services in bath and north east somerset ; virgin care was the preferred provider for this contract .
in march 2017 , ccg board papers seen by the hsj revealed that virgin care and east staffordshire ccg were in dispute over contractual arrangements . this dispute has impacted on burton hospitals foundation trust ; the trust is unable to agree a contract with virgin care under the prime provider model due to the ccg dispute .
since we started on our journey in 2006 we’ve been focused on delivering high quality care , good value and the fantastic customer service you’d expect from virgin .
the collapse of the £725m unitingcare contract in cambridgeshire meant virgin’s newly acquired contract would be the most lucrative ongoing deal for providing nhs care , he said .
the other bidders for community care were another private company , optum health solutions , and two nhs foundation trusts , lancashire care and bridgewater community healthcare . optum was the only other bidder for the urgent care contract .
since 2010 when virgin care was formed the company has not reported a profit but a loss of around £9 to £10 million each financial year . no profit means no tax is paid in the uk . however , virgin care’s position within the complex structure of richard branson’s empire has raised some questions about tax liabilities .
virgin australia group executive public affairs danielle keighery said , “care australia has an outstanding history of supporting millions in some of the poorest communities across the region and as a major provider of vital air services in the asia pacific region , virgin australia is proud to be standing alongside care to help support the region . ”
in 2012 , virgin care was the first private company to win a large contract for community services when it took over the provision of community care in surrey under a five year contract and the provision of children’s services in devon .
the dispute was settled in november 2017 with a payment to virgin care by the ccgs involved . the amount actually paid to virgin care is unclear . hsj saw details of a payment by nhs surrey downs in governing body papers , but these were removed from the website soon after . hsj notes what happened as follows :
trade union unison said members were
anxious
about virgin care taking over and it would hold the firm
to the high standard the workforce deserve
.
virgin ' s use of tax havens within its corporate structure , such as the british virgin islands , has led to controversy in the media . it also proved a component in a campaign against virgin care being awarded a contract with bristol ccg for children’s community services . in the end the contract was awarded to a community interest group .
a virgin care spokesman said :
we have a very strong track record of providing nhs care to vulnerable groups including children for many years now . , strengthened with extensive expertise through our contract to provide community services in surrey .
in october 2017 , the legal case was settled with a payout to virgin care . the full amount of the payout is undisclosed , however the surrey downs ccg noted in governing board papers that it had paid virgin care £328 , 000 . as six other ccgs and one council were involved and all paid virgin a similar amount then the full amount paid to virgin could be as high as £2 . 6 million . it is not clear what the payout covered or if nhs england also made a payout .
in february 2016 , the hsj reported that virgin care had made a legal challenge over hull ccgs plans for primary care provision in its area . hull ccg wants to create geographical groups of practices , each operating as larger scale providers . however , the initial plan to create the groups , by inviting groups of gps to take over practices currently run under time limited contracts , was challenged by virgin care .
labour mp for dewsbury , paula sherriff , revealed under parliamentary privilege in the house of commons , that when she worked for virgin care the company forced patients to attend extra appointments to boost profits . sherriff accused virgin care of insisting on “extra consultations before surgery , boosting their profits at the expense of the taxpayer and patient safety” .
nhs campaigners warned that the history of previous privatisations of nhs services in other parts of england may mean the quality of care patients receive drops once virgin takes over .
virgin care has developed and launched the care coordination centre model which is helping keep people healthy , happy and at home . our innovative technology , bringing together records from the whole health service , is allowing our care navigators to empower patients to look after their own health , stay well and reduce pressure on hospital services .
“employees need clear recognition from virgin that a well - run health service means investment in staff . our priority is an effective public service that values staff , and we will hold virgin care to the high standard that the workforce and the local community deserve . ”
“virgin australia has demonstrated that it is strongly committed to supporting the community . we are thrilled that virgin australia will be supporting our work across the region . this partnership will help to ensure that every dollar australians donate to care goes further , ” she said .
baroness morgan of huyton , an ex - director of failed care home firm southern cross , is a paid member of the advisory committee board for virgin group holdings ltd .
virgin care has become a major player in the market for nhs services since it entered the healthcare market in 2010 . over the past seven years the company has been awarded contracts worth well over £2 billion , with several large contracts in community health . virgin care has probably been the most active private company in the area of nhs contracts for community health and in 2016 the company made the move into adult social care .
in january 2018 , virgin care private , a new business venture from virgin care , opened its first health and wellbeing centre in birmingham . this is a purely pay - as - you - go service with no nhs contracts and no need for private health insurance . this is a new departure for virgin care , but is one of a number of private gp and health services that have sprung up around the country taking advantage of the difficulties in getting gp appointments and long waits for services . virgin care private allows a patient to jump queues if they have the money . the centre offers gp appointments , diagnostic tests , a range of specialist consultations , as well as psychological therapies .
virgin care was awarded two five - year contracts together worth £65 million in december 2016 by west lancashire ccg . the community health services contract is worth £45 million and the urgent care services is worth £20 million ; both start on 1 april 2017 .
“we will be working closely with the council and our new partners , virgin care , over the coming months to ensure that services and staff are transferred across safely on 1 april 2017 and to minimise disruption to the care and support that people currently receive . ”
commercial : nhs dorset has named virgin care as preferred provider of medical and community services at lyme regis medical centre in a contract worth up to £8 . 5m over five years .
the mother ' s lawyers argue that the council and nhs trust failed to comply with equalities legislation and their own equality policy , including by not conducting an equality impact assessment . they say virgin care failed to carry out a timely and comprehensive equality impact assessment . the lawyers are asking the court to declare the decision to give virgin care preferred bidder status unlawful .
a tory - led council agreed sir richard branson’s virgin care could run more than 200 nhs services - and campaigners fear it is the start of the health service being sold off .
in august 2016 virgin care was chosen as preferred bidder to take on a seven year contract , worth around £700 million with an option to extend for three years , to coordinate over 200 health and social care services in bath and north somerset . the contract was awarded in november 2016 despite substantial opposition . this is a prime provider contract with virgin care directly delivering and coordinating services , but with the option to subcontract to other providers where appropriate .
virgin care also did not win the contract for children ' s community services in surrey . however , in this case , virgin care began legal proceedings in november 2016 against the eight commissioning organisations involved . by october 2017 , virgin care was running , and this was only on an interim basis , adult community services for north east hampshire and farnham ccg , which is only a tiny proportion of the original 2012 - 2017 contract . this contract is a one year extension of the 2012 / 17 contract . as of march 2018 virgin has ageed to extend adult community care in the surrey health and north east hampshire and farnham ccgs for a year , this is worth £10 . 8 million and will serve 135 , 000 people .
“but staff are anxious about virgin care taking over . services are already under intense strain because of the government ' s failure to invest in social care . many community health staff are paid a pittance , despite the long hours they put in and their dedicated work .
in late 2017 , virgin care also launched the first virgin care private pay - as - you - go health and wellbeing clinic in birmingham , offering local people the extra choice and convenience of a city centre service and relaunched the feel the difference fund , £100 , 000 of ring - fenced funding dedicated to empowering our colleagues to implement their ideas for improving services .
care australia ceo , dr julia newton - howes said the partnership with virgin australia was built on the shared belief that australians have the power to change thousands of lives for the better .
virgin care , which has been handed contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds to run more than 230 nhs and social care services , is one of at least 10 private health firms seeking state - funded contracts whose company structures include tax havens , it can be revealed .
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virgin will also run the urgent care facility at paulton community hospital , which is 12 miles from bath , and subcontract a number of other services to other providers , including the provision of dementia and end of life care and a “hospital from home” service for recently discharged patients .
in january 2016 virgin won a bid to run adult community services across dartford , gravesham , swanley and swale region of north kent . this seven year contract is worth £18 million per year and could be extended for an extra three years . virgin care will take the contract from kent community health foundation trust , which reported that it lost out to virgin care in the area of price . kent community health foundation trust , said it scored ”slightly higher” on quality in the assessment process .
originally virgin care was strong in the area of gp services , however since the advent of ccgs the company has reduced the number of gp surgeries substantially . in october 2012 virgin care announced that it would be taking over all jointly owned gp - provider companies , to give virgin group 100 % ownership of assura medical . this meant that over 300 gps would have to relinquish stakes in the gp provider companies . at this point 358 surgeries were listed as being part of these provider companies .
the problem with virgin care’s use of receptionists to triage patients had already been noted by cqc inspectors : mrs mandal died two months after a cqc inspection of the urgent care centre , in which the inspectors noted :
we were concerned that there was a risk of a patient with a serious illness or injury being wrongly streamed and their condition deteriorating .
a & e doctors had also voiced fears about the virgin care centre ' s triage system , the inquest heard .
employees need clear recognition from virgin that a well - run health service means investment in staff .
two nhs foundation trusts have won a high court challenge over lancashire county council’s decision to award a contract to virgin care for the provision of public health and nursing services to children and young people .
primary care at hmps norfolk and waveney worth over £51 . 5 million won in 2014 ;
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the senior coroner at the inquest said she would write to croydon ccg , which buys in the virgin care service , with her concerns about the triage system , which gives receptionists with no medical training responsibility for deciding if patients need emergency treatment . virgin care are reported to have defended the use of a non - medically trained receptionist to triage patients and said that mrs mandal had been “correctly streamed” .
sutherland lodge surgery in chelmsford - virgin care took over this surgery in july 2016 after cuts in pms funding forced the gp partners to hand back the contract . the cqc had rated the surgery as outstanding .
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in november 2016 , virgin care was reported to be in the running for the £535 million contract for end - of - life care in staffordshire . the tender process for this ten year contract had been restarted ; it was put on hold following the collapse of the unitingcare contract in cambridgeshire and peterborough .
we have opportunities in health and social care roles across england , helping everyone feel the difference .
virgin care services ltd reported a turnover of £204 million ( up from £133 . 6 million 2016 financial year ) , leading to a profit of almost £8 . 2 million in the year to end march 2017 .
jonathan ashworth mp , labour’s shadow health secretary , said : “under the tories , hospitals are facing financial crisis while patient care suffers yet all the tories offer is further cuts and outsourcing to private companies like virgin .
last month devon county council and devon primary care trust confirmed they had selected virgin care to take over the running of services for children with disabilities , the children ' s mental health service , and school nurses and health visitors , from 1 april next year . the contract , worth more than £100m , has not yet been signed . bids by the nhs and charities with expertise in children ' s services were rejected . it has not been disclosed what changes , if any , virgin care plans to make to the services .
the council and the clinical commissioning group say virgin ' s proposed model is based upon two years of expert consultation .
a virgin care spokesperson said : “we are really pleased to have been selected to deliver the local vision for urgent and community care across west lancashire . we look forward to continuing our engagement with the local community so we can provide a high quality service that has been shaped by the people who use it . ”
virgin care ltd alone reported turnover for the period of £42 million , with a loss of £19 . 3 million and no tax was paid . income is entirely derived from nhs contracts and from work in the uk .
as a result of losing the tender bidding process , in november 2016 virgin care l aunched legal proceedings against all eight commissioning organisations involved in the contract . a spokesperson for virgin care told hsj that concerns about “serious flaws in the procurement process” prompted the company to launch proceedings . speaking about the contract when it was run by virgin and the two social enterprises , guildford and waverley ccg’s wellbeing and health scrutiny board said that children and young people had experienced “service variation with differing access for families…a well as gaps in service provision and variation in waiting times . ”
the new service will combine a range of existing services , including the healthy child programme , healthy schools , family nurse partnership and children’s centres . this contract contains social care as well as health care .
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virgin care is well aware of the criticism its involvement in the nhs has garnered , in particular the fact that it pays no tax in the uk and its links to a tax haven . the issue of virgin’s links to a tax haven was a major issue in its bid for a contract to run bristol’s children’s community health services in 2015 .
virgin will run sittingbourne memorial hospital and sheppey community hospital as well as livingstone hospital in dartford and gravesham hospital in gravesend .
in december 2017 virgin care was awarded the five year contract for the 0 - 19 year healthy child programme in lancashire by lancashire county council . the contract covers school nurses , health visitors and many other services for young people . previously it was run by lancashire care trust under a contract that expires at the end of march 2018 .
there are also issues with regard to care quality concerns one of virgin care’s biggest contracts . it came to light in october 2017 and was reported in the bath chronicle that virgin care managers had been asked to ‘hold off’ from contacting the cqc as the company struggled with it issues , despite managers having a legal obligation to report concerns . as a result of these issues , in the first three months of the contract , “patients had appointments cancelled , letters and reports were not sent out , and nurses had problems updating patient records , ” according to the bath chronicle .
currently , community care in bath & north east somerset is run by non - for profit company sirona .
we run over 400 nhs and social care services across the country . find a service near you here .
the company has acquired a string of nhs contracts recently , including a £700m health and care co - ordination contract in bath and north east somerset and a £17m a year community care contract in guildford and waverley .
the council said it was
an exciting new chapter in the integration of health and care services
.
in march 2016 , it was reported that the start of this contract had been delayed by a month and began 1 may 2016 ; this was due to the need to finalize some arrangements , according to the ccg and virgin care .
in october 2017 , hsj reported that virgin care is demanding more money from the ccgs . no amount has been officially confirmed , but hsj noted
that sources have told hsj the private provider has asked for nearly £5m extra .
it means that from 1 april virgin care will become the prime provider of a wide range of care for adults and children . that will include everything from services for those with diabetes , dementia or who have suffered a stroke , as well as people with mental health conditions . it will also cover care of children with learning disabilities and frail , elderly people who are undergoing rehabilitation to enable them to go back to living at home safely after an operation .
in early 2017 , according to virgin ' s website it was still running many but not all children ' s services in devon . virgin care ' s contract was extended whilst the ccg decided what to do . a report in the hsj in january 2018 , said that virgin is considering bidding for all of devon ' s children ' s services again . the contract is worth £259 million over seven years and the procurement process could start in febraury 2018 with a projected ocntract start in april 2019 .
eight out of about 50 surgeries in hull are run under alternative provider medical services ( apms ) contracts , which are due to expire in march and three of these are run by virgin care . hull ccg now has to undertake a full procurement process in four lots for the future provision of the primary medical care services currently provided through the apms contracts . critics note the additional cost that a full procurement process will place upon an already cash - strapped ccg . in march 2017 , the four lots were awarded to new providers ; virgin care did not bid for any of the lots .
murphy’s research also found that virgin care borrows money solely from a virgin holding company and reports that it will repay that loan , which will be corporation tax - deductible , when a profit starts to be recorded . that holding company is based in the uk but it , in turn , owes money to other parts of the virgin business , whose ultimate parent company is in the british virgin islands . this type of corporate set - up has potential for reducing or eliminating the tax liabilities of operating companies ; a company in the uk could always report a loss due to loan repayments to sister companies thereby never having to pay tax .
virgin was given preferred provider status for the £176 million adult community services for guildford and waverley ccg in august 2016 . virgin had run these services under the previous all - surrey contract . however , in february 2017 the ccg governing body reviewed the progress being made to mobilise the new service , and as a result it decided not to progress with virgin and has since begun a reprocurement process .
in november 2016 , essex county council awarded a seven year contract to virgin care , in partnership with barnardo’s , to run its pre - birth to 19 health , wellbeing and family support service across essex . the contract began in april 2017 .
the mother , who cannot be named for legal reasons , says her two children , aged nine and 13 , both of whom receive treatment for mental health problems , could be adversely affected by the planned takeover by branson ' s company virgin care .
virgin provides primary healthcare to several other prisons , including hmp coldingly , hmp bure , hmp downview , hmp wayland , and hmp highdown .
a virgin care spokesman said : “we’re looking forward to working with the many outstanding professionals , and a range of great partners , to provide and oversee high quality , easy - to - navigate services which are shaped by the people who use them . ”
it won foundation status on march 1 last year and was rated ‘good’ by the care quality commission in september 2014 .
it ' s the first time a for - profit company will deliver a council ' s social care for adults .
virgin care ltd was founded in march 2010 when virgin acquired a majority stake in assura medical ; the renaming took place in march 2012 . assura began life in 2003 as a property investment company , the medical property investment fund limited ( mpif ) , which then became assura medical in 2006 . the property arm of assura continues to trade as a separate company listed on the lse as assura group ltd .
“i am pleased that we can now start the process of transferring services . following extensive consultation with local people and a very rigorous procurement process , the ccg board is assured that virgin care is the right organisation to deliver the personalised and preventative care that local people have asked for , ” said dr ian orpen , the clinical chair of bath and north east somerset clinical commissioning group .
our health and social care roles let you do the job you love with the confidence that you can make a difference .
while not currently recording a profit in the uk after administrative expenses , virgin care borrows money solely from a holding company and says it will repay that loan , which will be corporation tax - deductible , when a profit starts to be recorded . that holding company is based in the uk but it , in turn , owes money to other parts of the virgin empire , whose ultimate parent company is in the british virgin islands . its principal beneficiaries are billionaire businessman sir richard branson , reported to have a net worth of £2 . 7bn , and his family .
a virgin care spokesman said :
we ' re looking forward to working with the many outstanding professionals , and a range of great partners , to provide and oversee high quality , easy - to - navigate services which are shaped by the people who use them .
since 2012 the company has won a number of large contracts covering community services , including ones in west lancashire , essex , north kent , wiltshire and in bath and north east somerset . at the end of 2017 , virgin care reported that it provided over 400 services around england .
a virgin care spokesperson said : “during the feedback from the commissioner we became concerned that there may have been serious flaws in the procurement process leading to an outcome that we strongly feel is not in the best interests of either the children and families we support or our valued colleagues .
and nearly 3 , 000 local residents have protested the contract via a petition by the campaign group 38 degrees . the authors of the petition – “don’t let virgin take over our community health service” – claimed that if the contract was awarded to virgin “it will contribute to the rapidly advancing privatisation of the nhs” .
in september 2015 an inquest heard of the death in september 2013 of madhumita mandal of multiple organ failure and sepsis . mrs mandal visited the virgin care run urgent care centre in croydon in agony and vomiting , according to her husband , where she was triaged by a receptionist with no medical training , as not seriously ill enough to see the a & e doctor but put on the list to see a nurse .
in april 201 7 , it was revealed that virgin care is in dispute with east staffordshire ccg over arrangements in the seven - year prime provider contract for frail elderly patients , people with long term conditions and intermediate care . the exact nature of the dispute had not been reported , but the dispute has had a knock - on affect on burton hospitals foundation trust and could have implications for the finances of the trust .
in december 2015 virgin care won a £64 million , five - year contract , to provide community health services in wiltshire for children , including children’s specialist community nursing , speech and language therapy and health visitors . the contract began in april 2016 and is worth £12 . 8 million per year .
“if and when i could take a dividend from virgin care ( which would make us a profit over and above our overall investment ) , i will invest 100 % of that money back into helping nhs patients young and old , with our frontline employees deciding how best to spend it . ”
in june 2018 , the decision by lancashire county council to award this £104 million contract was thrown out by a high court judge following the legal challenge from nhs trusts . the local authority’s process was deemed to be flawed in awarding this contract to virgin care . the judge , justice stuart - smith , stated the council’s decision to score virgin’s bid more highly than that of the nhs trusts’ was not substantially supported in its notes of the scoring procedure .
virgin care has been handed the contract by both bath and north east somerset nhs clinical commissioning group and conservative - led bath and north east somerset council . it is worth £70m a year for seven years and the contract includes an option to extend it by another three years at the same price .
due to the weight of opposition against virgin care being awarded the contract , additions were made to the contract . according to councillor vic pritchard , cabinet member for adult social care and health at bath and north east somerset council there is a clause in the contract that would require “any financial surplus made by the new prime provider to be reinvested into services in bath and north east somerset” . it is unclear whether this means the virgin will operate not - for - profit as it should be noted that definitions of
financial surplus
can vary widely . the contract has been opposed by unions and social work leaders .
we’ve provided health and care services across england since 2006 and we now treat more than 1 million people a year , helping everyone feel the difference .
we provide health and care services across the country . since 2006 we’ve treated more than 6 million people , making sure that everyone feels the difference .
we developed and launched the care coordination centre model which is helping keep people healthy , happy and at home . our innovative technology , bringing together records from the whole health service , is allowing our care navigators to empower patients to look after their own health , stay well and reduce pressure on hospital services .
virgin is expected to take over on april 1 . the contract was awarded by nhs swale clinical commissioner group and nhs dartford , gravesham and swanley clinical commissioning group ( dgs ccg ) .
the decision to work with virgin follows an exhaustive tendering process that has involved a large number of parents , carers , professionals and young people themselves as well as affected staff .
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in late 2017 , virgin care private was launched , the company ' s first venture in purely private healthcare . this business venture opened its first health and wellbeing centre in birmingham in january 2018 . this centre provides gp services , specialist consultations , diagnostics and tests and well - being services all on a pay - as - you - go service .
virgin care was awarded the contract for integrated sexual health service across the boroughs of hartlepool , middlesbrough , redcar and cleveland and stockton - on - tees in may 2016 by the council ' s of these areas . the contract is for five years with an option to extend to nine years . the five year contract is worth £36 . 2 million .