A businessman from Co Kerry stands to gain more than £27 million sterling (€43.5 million) after agreeing to sell his British-based healthcare business to a rival.

Mr Maurice Henchey owns about 25 per cent of Healthcall, a provider of GP services and medical contractor, which he has agreed to sell to Nestor Healthcare for £110 million.

Sale of the Milton Keynes company is subject to regulatory approval and a vote by Nestor shareholders at the end of August. Mr Henchey (55) established Healthcall in 1989 after buying out shareholders in Aircall, a family business he managed, for £45 million. He was backed at that time by two venture capital groups, Electra and 3i.

The other beneficiaries of the Nestor deal will be the venture capital group Bridgepoint, a 60 per cent shareholder in Healthcall, and about 3,000 staff and managers who own about 15 per cent of the company.

From Tarbert, Mr Henchy attended a local school, St Ita's, after securing a scholarship. He said he left Ireland for Britain at 17 and trained in management with television and radio equipment group, Pye. He is an entrepreneur rather than a medical specialist.

Healthcall offers an automatic phone answering service when patients contact GP surgeries out of hours. They are connected to helpdesks manned by doctors or nurses. If necessary, home visits can be organised.

The contracts element of business is carrying out work for the British government on two projects to compensate sick miners.

Mr Henchey said he had interests in other health companies.

A golfer, he is a member of the Ballybunion club in Co Kerry. He makes regular visits to relations there.