EXHIBIT 5.1


                                March 10, 1995


Salick Health Care, Inc.
8201 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90048

Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel for Salick Health Care, Inc., a Delaware 
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the 
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of an aggregate of 5,714,156 shares of the 
Callable Puttable Common Stock, $.001 par value per share, of the Company (the 
"Special Common Stock"), which includes shares of Special Common Stock issuable 
upon exercise of options to purchase shares thereof, and the registration of 
such options, which shares and options are issuable in exchange for shares of 
the Company's Common Stock, $.001 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), and 
options to purchase shares of the Common Stock, pursuant to and in accordance 
with the terms of an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 22, 
1994, as amended, among the Company, Zeneca Limited, an English company, and 
Atkemix Thirty-nine Inc., a Delaware corporation.

     We have examined the proceedings taken by the Company in connection with 
the issuance of such shares and options and have been informed of and have 
verified additional proceedings proposed to be taken with respect thereto. Based
on the foregoing, it is our opinion that such shares of Special Common Stock 
will, upon the issuance thereof in the manner referred to in the Registration 
Statement on Form S-4, be legally and validly issued, fully paid and 
nonassessable.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the 
Company's Registration Statement on Form S-4 and consent to the use of our name 
under the heading "LEGAL MATTERS"

 
Salick Health Care, Inc.
March 10, 1995
Page 2


in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus constituting part of said Registration 
Statement.

                                             Respectfully submitted,


                                             SANDERS, BARNET, GOLDMAN,
                                              SIMONS & MOSK,
                                             A Professional Corporation


                                             By: /s/ Irwin G. Barnet
                                                --------------------------------
                                                Irwin G. Barnet

IGB/JA