Capita acquires FirstAssist Services Holdings Ltd

30 September 2010

CAPITA ACQUIRES FIRSTASSIST SERVICES HOLDINGS LIMITED

The Capita Group Plc (`Capita') announces that it has acquired FirstAssist
Services Holdings Ltd (`FSL') for a cash consideration of £12.5m on a
cash-free, debt-free basis. FSL provides skilled and time-critical telephone
advice and assistance services to the customers and employees of a number of
private and public sector organisations.

Services include health, wellbeing and legal assistance, international medical
assistance and absence management. Its customers include Royal Sun Alliance,
Lloyds Bank and Standard Life. FSL also acts on behalf of the Legal Services
Commission to assess litigants' entitlement to legal aid.

The acquisition adds further depth and breadth of expertise to Capita's
existing services for the health and workforce management market. Capita's
operations in this market currently span health informatics firm, CHKS, running
the NHS Choices programme, and administering both The Information Standard for
healthcare information and the payment of national health patient fees to
dentists on behalf of NHS BSA. Capita also recently acquired Premier Medical
Group, a medical assessment and occupational health specialist. The acquisition
of FSL, combined with Capita's existing health businesses, will enable Capita
to provide an enhanced service offering to both existing and new clients.

FSL made an operating profit, on a pro-forma basis, for its financial year to
31 December 2009 of £1.7m on turnover of £17.9m.

Commenting on the deal, Paul Pindar, Chief Executive of The Capita Group Plc,
said: "The acquisition of FSL will broaden the service we provide, enabling us
to offer a comprehensive and enhanced package of health and workforce
management related services to new and existing clients."   

FSL has around 360 staff, many of them lawyers, professional counsellors,
doctors and nurses in offices in Leicestershire and Surrey.

                                    -ends-                                     

For further information:

The Capita Group Plc
Tel: [phone]
Paul Pindar, Chief Executive
Shona Nichols, Corporate Communications Director

Media enquiries
Capita press office
Claire Savill
Tel: [phone] or 020 7654 2399 (out of hours)


Notes to editors

Capita in healthcare

Capita's experience in healthcare has grown significantly over the last two
years since a decision in 2008 to focus on this sector. The growth has been
forged on two fronts:

  * Securing large outsourcing contracts including NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk),
    NHS Business Services Authority and operating the new Information Standard.
   
  * Acquiring and developing businesses such as CHKS (health informatics), CRC
    (health economics), Membership Services (governance services to Foundation
    Trusts), HSP (staff and patient surveys for the NHS), Inventures (health
    property advisory firm) and Premier Medical Group (medical assessments and
    occupational health services).
   
With over 600 staff in its health operation, Capita brings a range of business
process, informatics, research and governance skills to deliver services which
either support front-line health care delivery (e.g. dental payments) or
provide information to improve both effectiveness and efficiency (e.g. NHS
Choices).

The Capita Group Plc is the UK's leading provider of BPO and integrated
professional support service solutions.  With 36,000 people at more than 300
sites, including 59 business centres across the UK, Ireland, the Channel
Islands and India, the Group uses its expertise, infrastructure and scale
benefits to transform its clients' services, driving down costs and adding
value. Capita is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (CPI.L), and is a
constituent of the FTSE100 with revenues for 2009 of £2,687 million.  Further
information on The Capita Group Plc can be found at: http://www.capita.co.uk