London: As part of its cost-cutting efforts, Britain may contemplate shipping blood and urine samples from National Health Service (NHS) patients to India for clinical tests and in return get test results by e-mail.

Private sector hospitals are already conducting trials of the service, reducing the cost by one third and the company behind the scheme SRL Ranbaxy, Mumbai, is now targeting the public sector and has already held discussions with concerned ministers. Health department officials have met representatives of SRL Ranbaxy to hear how outsourcing to India could work. Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt also met the representatives of the firm earlier this month.

Harpal Singh, Chairman of SRL Ranbaxy, said he held discussions with the department in September 2003 and several NHS facilities to "showcase our capabilities", although the NHS had not yet approached the firm to start formal trials. He also spoke to Hewitt earlier this month.

"She was very positive. She recognised the opportunity. She said that this required greater study and examination," he said.

SRL Ranbaxy conducts clinical tests for more than 600 hospitals in India and in the year 2003 it set up services in the Middle East.

It is a division of Fortis Healthcare, which is also looking at opportunities to run hospitals in the UK. It is associated with Ranbaxy, the Indian generic drug manufacturer, which is doing increasing amounts of research and development for western pharmaceutical companies.