Distressed health software stock iSOFT is poised to fall into the hands of a trade buyer after both the company and its biggest shareholder, ­Oceania Capital Partners , were placed in a trading halt yesterday.

Market interest has focused sharply on US outsourcer Computer Sciences Corporation as the most likely acquirer of iSOFT at a fire sale price because of its deal to provide electronic health and medical records as part of a £12 billion ($19.2 billion) electronic health and medical records project being undertaken by the British National Health Service.