FST.L Regulatory News (FST)

15 Jan 2009 07:00

Embargoed Release: 07:00hrs Thursday 15th January 2009

Toumaz Holdings Limited (`Toumaz Holdings', the `Company' or the `Group') Acquisition of Majority Shareholding of Sentinel Healthcare Solutions Limited

Toumaz Holdings, the specialist niche investor in emerging technologies with strong commercial propositions for the healthcare and electronic sectors, announces that it has increased its total interest in Sentinel Healthcare Solutions Ltd (`Sentinel') to 81.25%. The Group acquired the additional 31.25% shareholding of Sentinel from Continum Group Ltd.

Sentinel, a developer of innovative intelligent healthcare solutions, successfully launched its MyAmegoâ„¢ product in 2008. MyAmegoâ„¢ is an assistive telecare system that monitors people with dementia and other disabilities with an electronic device such as a bracelet or necklace. MyAmegoâ„¢ captures data via small wireless monitors placed around the care home in a mesh network. Sentinel's solution constitutes a move away from `institutional and custodial technology' to `personalised systems' representing a key development in the use of technology in social care where the emphasis is on the person rather than their behaviour.

Toumaz Holdings intends to leverage its strengths and contacts to promote Sentinel by implementing a new management structure and using its expertise to further build MyAmegoâ„¢'s commercial traction. This will enable Sentinel to continue to develop the award-winning product and progress MyAmegoâ„¢'s brand building exercise.

Following the very positive market feedback it received in 2008, Sentinel, together with its growing UK distributor network, intends to further realise the commercial prospects of MyAmegoâ„¢ in the UK care home market, particularly in relation to dementia carers. It also expects to deepen and further develop its existing relationships with a number of the largest private care home operators in the UK, which may lead to prospective installations of the MyAmego â„¢ system in their care units.

The crucial benefit of MyAmegoâ„¢ is that it enables the development of person-centred care in conjunction with the requirements exacted by the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and allows key decision makers in care home operations to seamlessly improve their dementia care services immediately. Providers of care services are increasingly expected to obtain evidence demonstrating their care services are personalised and person-centred.

Guy Spelman CEO of Toumaz Holdings, commented:

"I am delighted that we have acquired a majority shareholding in Sentinel on very favourable terms. MyAmegoâ„¢ demonstrated positive progress in 2008 in entering the dementia care market by rapidly gaining widespread recognition of its unique qualities. We believe that our increased interest in Sentinel will enable us to speed up the commercial prospects of MyAmegoâ„¢ in the UK care home market, particularly in relation to dementia carers, while at the same time keeping operational costs low."

About Sentinel Healthcare Solutions

Sentinel is a developer of innovative intelligent healthcare solutions. MyAmego â„¢, its technology solution for dementia care, is currently targeting both the public and private UK care homes sectors, where the market size for registered dementia sufferers in the UK alone exceeds 750,000, with similar ratios to population in all developed countries.

MyAmegoâ„¢ was launched at the Naidex Exhibition at the Birmingham NEC in May 2008, where it secured the 2008 Best New Technology prize on the last day of the exhibition. The product also received widespread recognition at the 3rd UK Dementia Congress held in Bournemouth, October 2008, where MyAmegoâ„¢ held a well-attended breakfast workshop that included a presentation by Jackie Poole, one of the UK's leading occupational therapists and expert on Dementia and care for older people.

Sentinel has in place distributorship agreements for MyAmegoâ„¢ for the local authority and private care home sectors. The MyAmegoâ„¢ system was successfully installed into a local authority mixed disability (including dementia) 25-bedroom care home in 2008. Sentinel and Healthantec Ltd. (`Healthantec'), a specialist in the marketing and distribution of healthcare devices in the UK private care home market also installed the system into owner-managed private care homes.

For further information please contact: Guy Spelman Toumaz Holdings Limited Tel: +44 7767 338 967 Charles Cunningham/ Rose Herbert/ Sam Smith FinnCap Tel: 020 7600 1658 Vikki Krause Hansard Group Tel: +44 207 245 1100