Private medical group Beacon may have to find an alternative operator for its three co-location hospitals after its current US partner said it had no plans to expand further outside the US.

The development follows a change of ownership at Triad, the US group that operates Beacon's private hospital at Sandyford in south Dublin.

Triad's new owner, US group Community Healthcare Systems (CHS), said in a statement to NewsTalk radio that it had no international expansion plans.

"CHS is primarily focused on its north American operations and does not plan to expand its international operations," it said.

"However, CHS intends to honour all of its legal obligations in managing Beacon Hospital."

Beacon's spokesman said Triad was not party to the consortium selected last month as preferred bidder to build private hospitals under the co-location scheme on public grounds at Beaumont in Dublin and in Cork and Limerick.

"If a situation should arise whereby CHS do not wish to expand, there are alternative options available to the Beacon Medical Group. I'm not going to go into those," he said.

However, he said the group recently conducted discussions with other hospital operators in light of its expansion plans.

He did not name those operators, but Beacon is known to have relations with other US organisations such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre and John Hopkins Medicine in Maryland. Beacon is owned by developer Paddy Shovlin, executive chairman Michael Cullen and Prof Mark Redmond, a surgeon.

More than 900 beds will be provided in the first six co-located private hospitals to be built on public hospital sites across the State.

Beacon is preferred bidder to build accommodation for 170 beds at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, 175 beds at Cork University Hospital and 138 beds at the Mid Western Regional hospital in Limerick.

Beacon also expects to be invited to tender for a co-location contract at Tallaght hospital in Dublin. Synchrony/Capio Health will build the private hospital at the St James's campus in Dublin, which will have 195 beds.

The Bon Secours Group won the tender to build accommodation for 140 beds next to Waterford Regional Hospital. The Mount Carmel medical group will build a 96-bed hospital at Sligo General Hospital.