Berrymans Lace Mawer, Hill Dickinson and Mills & Reeve are among a raft of firms to have won roles on a new legal services panel for healthcare purchaser HealthTrust Europe.

The trio have been appointed alongside Browne Jacobson, Capsticks, Bevan Brittan, Hempsons, Ward Hadaway and Birmingham City Council to HealthTrust Europe's general law panel, which covers all areas of legal advice except healthcare, such as education and environmental advice.

A separate panel has been formed for healthcare work, with Berrymans, Hill Dickinson and Mills & Reeve joining Weightmans, Browne Jacobson, Capsticks, Kennedys, Hempsons, Ward Hadaway, Bevan Brittan and RadcliffesLeBrasseur on the roster.

The panel is the first to be formed since HealthTrust Europe was set up in April this year when Healthcare Purchasing Consortium – the procurement services provider for NHS West Midlands – was purchased by HealthTrust Purchasing Group to become HealthTrust Europe.

HealthTrust Europe will purchase drugs and equipment for both the public and private sectors in the UK and Europe, including 27 NHS Trusts in the Midlands as well as 44 NHS Trusts and bodies in London.

Berrymans healthcare partner Joe Wakeford said: "Our appointment to HealthTrust Europe's framework agreement provides us with an exciting opportunity to expand our working relationship with Trusts across the country.

"We have bolstered our national healthcare team considerably over the past year to ensure we meet the needs of our clients and continue to position the firm as a leading supplier."

All of the appointments are for a three-year term, with the option to extend this for a further 12 months at the discretion of the Trust.

Berrymans also won a first-time role on the NHS Commercial Alliance panel line-up announced in July this year, following the healthcare body's review of eight of its panels.