Assura, the healthcare property giant, has urged for more investment in the sector, stating that the º£½ÇÊÓƵ is at a pivotal moment in its healthcare delivery. This comes alongside the company's half-year results, as reported by .
The firm's CEO, Jonathan Murphy, highlighted the urgent need for investment in healthcare, as underscored by the recent Lord Darzi report which deemed the current primary care estate "plainly not fit for purpose".
Murphy further commented: "We are at an inflexion point in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, with structural changes to the delivery of healthcare services, the Government targeting preventative services in a community setting, and rising demand for private providers,".
These remarks follow Labour's pledge to utilise more private healthcare providers to alleviate the NHS treatment backlog.
The National Health Service (NHS) has been grappling with extended waiting times, leading to widespread public dissatisfaction.
According to the latest British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA), public contentment with the NHS has plummeted to record lows.
Consequently, the private health services sector anticipates over 900,000 private admissions in 2024 due to the ongoing surge in demand for private healthcare.
Murphy expressed confidence in Altrincham-based Assura's ability to cater to this growing private healthcare demand.
In August, Assura expanded its portfolio by acquiring a £500m private hospital collection from Canadian group Northwest Healthcare Properties.
The acquisition encompasses 14 sites, each averaging 36 registered beds, primarily based in London, which makeup 64 per cent of the assets. Assura's portfolio now includes 625 properties with an annualised rent roll of £179.1m, a significant increase from £150.6m in March 2024.
Assura also announced a £250m joint venture with pension scheme USS, which has "diversified funding" it said.
"The purchase of 14 º£½ÇÊÓƵ private hospitals [from Northwest Healthcare] materially increases our exposure to the structurally supported private healthcare market as we continue to diversify our offering to meet changing º£½ÇÊÓƵ healthcare demands."
"The joint venture with USS, the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's leading private pension scheme, provides a new source of funding and opportunities to recycle capital into our growth pipeline," Assura said.
