Singapore: Australia-based Telstra healthcare has recently acquired a UK-based health analytics company, Dr Foster in a deal estimated to be worth between $40 million to $50 million. In addition to the UK and Australia, Dr Foster operates in China and a few other European nations.

Dr Foster is a healthcare company partly owned by the UK Department of Health. It develops software to rank the performances of hospital and medical staff.

"The acquisition will provide us with the experience and skills that will help us compete on the global stage," said, Mr Shane Solomon, Telstra Health managing director, in a statement.

The acquisition of Dr Foster aligns with Telstra Health's strategy to create a truly connected health care system and become a leading provider of integrated eHealth solutions, added Mr Solomon.

"We're committed to building a truly national, connected eHealth environment, what we call eHealth network, for Australia," Telstra CEO Mr David Thodey said earlier this year during an analyst briefing on the telco's results for the six months ending 31 December.