CSRT.L Regulatory News (CSRT)

29 Oct 2009 16:23



NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION (INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES) WHERE TO DO THE SAME WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

29 October 2009

RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER OF 27.5 PENCE PER SHARE  BY CONSORT MEDICAL PLC FOR THE MEDICAL HOUSE PLC

Level of acceptances and extension of the Offer

On 24 September 2009, Consort Medical made a recommended cash offer (with a Loan Notes Alternative) for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of The Medical House. 

On 15 October 2009, being the first closing date of the Offer, Consort Medical announced that the Offer had been extended until 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 29 October 2009.

The Consort Medical Board is pleased to announce that, as at 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 29 October 2009, being the second closing date of the Offer, valid acceptances of the Offer had been received in respect of a total of 39,518,447 The Medical House Shares, representing approximately 65.7 per cent of the existing issued share capital of The Medical House.

As a result of share purchases made since 24 September 2009, Consort Medical holds 28,000 The Medical House Shares, representing approximately 0.046 per cent of the existing issued share capital of The Medical House. 

Accordingly, as at 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 29 October 2009, being the second closing date of the Offer, Consort Medical owned or had received valid acceptances in respect of a total of 39,546,447 The Medical House Shares, representing approximately 65.8 per cent of the existing issued share capital of The Medical House. 

On 24 September 2009, the Consort Medical Board announced that it had received irrevocable undertakings to accept the Offer in respect of 21,184,173 The Medical House Shares, representing approximately 35.2 per cent of the existing issued share capital of The Medical House. Valid acceptances have been received in respect of all of these The Medical House Shares.

The Consort Medical Board announces that the Offer, which remains subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance, has been extended and will remain open for acceptance until the next closing date which will be 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 12 November 2009. Any subsequent extensions of the Offer will be publicly announced by 8.00 a.m. (London time) on the business day following the day on which the Offer was otherwise due to expire, or such later time or date as the Panel may agree.

Assuming the Offer becomes or is declared wholly unconditional and subject to any applicable requirements of the UKLA and AIM, Consort Medical intends to procure the cancellation of the admission to trading on AIM of The Medical House Shares. If this cancellation occurs, it will significantly reduce the liquidity and marketability of any The Medical House Shares not acquired pursuant to the Offer.

Given the recent industrial action within Royal Mail, The Medical House Shareholders who have not yet accepted the Offer and who hold The Medical House Shares in certificated form are urged to complete, sign and return the Form(s) of Acceptance by hand (during normal business hours) or by post as soon as possible but in any event so as to be received no later than 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 12 November 2009 by Capita Registrars at Corporate Actions, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU. Additional Forms of Acceptance are available from Capita Registrars, by telephoning 0870 162 3121 or, if calling from outside the UK, on +44 208 639 3399. If you hold your The Medical House Shares in uncertificated form (that is, in CREST) you are urged to accept the Offer by TTE Instructions as soon as possible and, in any event, so as to be settled not later than 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 12 November 2009.

Save as disclosed above, neither Consort Medical nor any person acting in concert with Consort Medical for the purposes of the Offer is interested in or has any rights to subscribe for any The Medical House Shares nor does any such person have any short position or any arrangement in relation to The Medical House Shares. For these purposes "arrangement" includes any agreement to sell or any dealing obligation or right to require another person to purchase or take delivery of, and borrowing or lending of, The Medical House Shares. An "arrangement" also includes any indemnity or option arrangement, any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, of whatever nature, relating to The Medical House Shares which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing in such securities. "Interest" includes any long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of securities and a person is treated as having an "interest" by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to securities. 

Terms used in this announcement shall have the meaning given to them in the Offer Document dated 24 September 2009, unless the context requires otherwise.

Enquiries: 

For further information please contact:

  Hawkpoint, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for Consort Medical and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Consort Medical for providing the protections afforded to clients of Hawkpoint nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or to the matters referred to herein.

Investec, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for Consort Medical and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Consort Medical for providing the protections afforded to clients of Investec nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or to the matters referred to herein.

Nomura Code, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for The Medical House and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than The Medical House for providing the protections afforded to clients of Nomura Code nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or to the matters referred to herein.

Further information on the Offer

This announcement is not and does not form any part of an offer to sell or an invitation to purchase any securities or the solicitation of any offer to sell in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Offer or otherwise. The Offer will be carried out solely through the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance, which contain the full terms and conditions of the Offer (including details of how the Offer may be accepted). Any acceptance or other response to the Offer should be made only on the basis of the information in the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance. The Medical House Shareholders are strongly advised to read carefully the formal documentation in relation to the Offer.

The availability of the Offer (including the Loan Notes Alternative) to persons who are not resident in and citizens of the United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located. Such persons should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements of their jurisdictions.

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the UK may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the UK should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable requirements. Any failure to comply with the applicable requirements may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. 

The Offer (including the Loan Notes Alternative) is not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do the same would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. Copies of this announcement and/or the Offer Document and/or any other related document are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do the same would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction and persons receiving this announcement and/or the Offer Document and/or any other related document (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise distribute or send them in, into or from such jurisdictions as doing so may invalidate any purported acceptance of the Offer.

This announcement has been prepared for the purposes of complying with the Code and English law and the information disclosed has been prepared in accordance with the Code and English law disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which may differ from those in jurisdictions outside of England.

Rule 19.11 disclosure

In accordance with Rule 19.11 of the Code, a copy of this Announcement will be published on the Consort Medical website: www.consortmedical.com and on The Medical House website: www.themedicalhouse.com.