ASH.L Regulatory News (ASH)

17 Mar 2009 07:00



Ashley House successful with NHS Express LIFT bid

Ashley House, the Primary Care Infrastructure specialist, is the lead partner in the Odyssey Healthcare consortium which has been appointed by the Department of Health ("DoH") as one of only 7 private sector partners able to undertake new Express LIFT ("Local Improvement Finance Trust") work. Only these selected partners will be able to form new LIFT companies via Express LIFT with the circa 75 Primary Care Trusts ("PCTs") not currently covered by the NHS LIFT framework. 

Odyssey Healthcare has been established by Ashley House and its current LIFT partners to bid for and undertake Express LIFT work.

To date, 47 NHS LIFT companies have been created covering approximately half of the country, with Ashley House and its partners leading 7 of them. The new Express LIFT framework aims, for an initial two year period, to give the remaining PCTs who have not yet joined LIFT a fast-track means of procurement for new Primary and Social Care facilities by establishing a new LIFTCo locally with a choice of any one of the 7 designated private sector partners.

The Directors believe that the selection of Ashley House's consortium as part of this new accelerated procurement framework for an estimated £1bn market could lead to a significant increase in the Company's pipeline of work in the medium term.

Further major opportunities exist across NHS LIFT and Express LIFT to work in conjunction with the PCT partners to deliver whole estate solutions whereby the existing local primary care estate could be transferred into a public/private joint venture.  Enhanced estate management linked to service planning can then allow reconfiguration of the existing estate with consequential benefits for all parties. 

Ashley House Chairman Sir William Wells said: 

"We are delighted to have been successful in our bid to become one of only a very small number of selected partners to participate in NHS Express LIFT. NHS LIFT is now very much seen as the preferred procurement method for the Department of Health and with approximately half of the country currently not covered by LIFT it is hoped that it will make a significant contribution to both the development of the Primary and Social care estate and our pipeline. Our appointment underlines the value of the acquisition of the 7 LIFTCo interests made last June and the positive impact that the Ashley House team has made within LIFT."

About NHS LIFT

The LIFT programme was established by the Department of Health in 2001. Under this initiative, a series of long-term public/private partnerships have been set up between PCTs, local authorities and the private sector to provide new, purpose-built Primary and Social Care facilities. Private sector partners benefit from the long-term revenues and relationships as well as the steady pipeline derived from the LIFT programme.

Since inception NHS LIFT has procured over 220 new Primary Care buildings with a value of approximately £1.5bn. Each LIFT company is 60% owned by the private sector; 20% owned by the local PCT(s) in the area and 20% owned by Community Health Partnerships (part of the DoH) and each shareholder has board representation.

About Ashley House

Established in 1991, Ashley House's principal activity is the supply of project management and consultancy services, primarily allied to the provision of medical property facilities delivering NHS led Primary Care. Ashley House offers a complete 'one stop' professional design and construction service from site finding through viability assessment, design, planning, and finally construction using a fixed price 'Design and Build' contract. 

Ashley House has a strong pipeline of projects at different stages of development from initial inquiry through to the later stages of construction. Projects range from the building of traditional GP surgeries to integrated 'one stop shop' health centres. This includes an increasing number of projects secured through the NHS LIFT initiative following the acquisition of interests in 7 LIFT Companies in 2008.