Falck, Europe's largest fire-fighting and ambulance company is selecting advisers for a flotation. The first half year could be a busy one for healthcare service flotations - Nordic healthcare group Ambea is also known to be considering floating and Medica, the French care home group, is near certain to debut. South African group Netcare plans to spin off General Hospital Group, its UK arm which is the largest UK private hospital chain, in a flotation on the London Stock Exchange.

Danish financial daily Borsen said Falck could be worth €1.25 billion. Healthcare made up half of DKR 7bn (EUR 940m) sales in 2008. Falck’s principal shareholders are Nordic Capital and ATP Private Equity Partners. A Falck spokesman confirmed that the group was looking to float but said that no decision had been made as yet.

In Denmark, Falck runs around 85% of ambulances and it also runs half of Slovak ambulances and has a substantial ambulance arm in Poland and smaller businesses in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belgium.

It has also bought into healthcare recruitment, acquiring Ulfabgruppen in Sweden last year and also runs similar operations in Norway and Denmark. Recently, Falck has also moved into domiciliary and home care with a small acquisition in Copenhagen.

In Denmark, Falck has over 100 occupational healthcare centres and it is also building its clinic network in Poland, which provides complete general practice care, as well as physiotherapy. Also opened a few simillar clinics in Slovakia and two in the United Arab Emirates.

Falck's healthcare activities are surprisingly extensive. As well as its unique ambulance business, we can't think of anyone else who is in primary care in four countries.