LONDON, December 2 /PRNewswire/ --

- Appointment Brings Together Expertise of Aetna, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Royal College of General Practitioners

Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that it has been appointed by the Department of Health as one of five suppliers on the Practice Based Commissioners (PBC) Development Framework. The goal of the Framework is to promote excellence in practice based commissioning by supporting the development of core competencies within PBCs and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).

Practice based commissioning is a critical element to achieving world class commissioning aspirations. We are delighted to be recognised as a leading player in such an important area, said Vincent Sai, Vice President and Managing Director of Aetna UK.

Recognising there is no one size fits all solution, Aetna will team up with PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to deliver development services. The breadth and depth of this relationship combines the perspectives of one of the world's largest commissioning organisations and health analytic experts; one of the world's leading change management and organisational development consultancies; and clinical insight and leadership from the largest of the Royal Colleges.

The unique combination of skills of Aetna, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the RCGP also reflect Aetna's commitment to bring the best resources to support PBC development and foster continued improvement and innovation within the NHS, continued Mr Sai.

Services offered range from building analytic and commissioning skills, organisational and leadership development, to improved engagement of key stakeholders including clinicians, patients and the public. Ultimately, the value that the partnership brings is its experience in creating bespoke solutions that can help PBC consortia prioritise and develop foundational capabilities for sustained success.

Notes to Editors:

1. Aetna UK will partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Royal College of General Practitioners to provide support for PCTs and PBCs to help them strengthen and build on local support arrangements for practice based commissioning.

2. Aetna is a leading healthcare company, commissioning services for approximately 37.2 million people worldwide through a broad range of health management services and health insurance products. Aetna has relationships with more than 1.3 million healthcare professionals around the globe, demonstrating the company's commitment to providing customers and individuals with access to safe, affordable, high-quality healthcare. Building on its more than 150-year history, Aetna is recognised for its dedication to cooperating with doctors and hospitals, employers, patients, public officials and others to build a stronger, more effective healthcare system. Aetna UK was established in 2007 to offer dedicated commissioning support services to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). As one of only six U.S.-based suppliers selected to provide advisory and commissioning services, Aetna UK is approved by the Department of Health through its sponsored Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners (FESC). http://www.aetna-uk.co.uk

3. PricewaterhouseCoopers has an extensive track record going back over 30 years of providing authoritative advice and assistance to a wide range of public and private health organisations, including the Department of Health and other government departments, SHAs, commissioners and providers. PricewaterhouseCoopers also works in collaboration with other key stakeholders such as Monitor, the NHS Confederation, and quality regulators, such as the Royal Colleges and the Audit Commission, to add insight and expertise in key areas of policy and delivery. http://www.pwc.co.uk

4. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the academic organisation in the UK for general practitioners. Its aim is to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the 'voice' of general practitioners on education, training and standards issues. Founded in 1952, the RCGP is a relatively young organisation with an outstanding record of achievement. Milestones in its history include the establishment of vocational training in general practice, the setting up of clinical guidelines for doctors, the expansion of research into general medicine practice and the promotion of primary care. http://www.rcgp.org.uk

Media Contact: James Simpson Tel +44(0)207-623-2368 FWD Financial Services Marketing Mob

Media Contact: James Simpson, Tel +44(0)207-623-2368, FWD Financial Services Marketing Mob, +44(0)7747-773685