-3x Short China Regulatory News (SCHE)

16 May 2008 07:00



Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC

-- Southern Cross development pipeline progressing well; 

three new care centres opened --

Friday, 16 May 2008 - Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC (LSE: SCHE) ('Southern Cross', 'the Group' or the 'Company'), the UK's largest private healthcare services provider, today announces the opening of three new residential care facilities from its expanding development pipeline in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, adding a further 176 beds to the Group's high quality portfolio.

Tor-na-Dee care centre in Aberdeen will be operated under the Group's Ashbourne Senior Living brand. The high-quality, purpose built home provides care for 74 frail elderly and dementia service users plus a separate 16 bed specialist unit for the care and rehabilitation of acquired brain injury patients, the only unit of its type in the area. Southern Cross will operate both of these facilities in a long term partnership with NHS Grampian.

The Company has also acquired a new 32 bed specialist care village in the Newcastle area, to be operated by Active Care Partnerships, its specialist subsidiary, providing specialist care to individuals on the Autistic Spectrum and with Asperger's Syndrome. The 28 purpose built semi-detached bungalows and one four bedroom house are set within 7 acres of landscaped grounds and offer the supported living model within a residential care environment. Furthermore, the Group has opened a new 54 bed Southern Cross care centre in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, offering care for elderly and dementia service users.

John Murphy, Group Managing Director, said:

"I am pleased to announce the opening of these three high quality care centres, increasing our focus on the provision of high standards of specialist and dementia care across the UK through our acquisition and development pipeline. These three new openings reflect Southern Cross' strategy of growing our business through a combination of developing new facilities in conjunction with acquiring existing homes. Demand for care services remains strong across the UK and Southern Cross is increasingly well positioned to meet this growing demand."

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