7 July 2017

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION

Spire Healthcare Group plc

("Spire Healthcare")

Spire Healthcare plans to develop a new £70m hospital in Milton Keynes

Spire Healthcare, one of the UK's leading independent hospital groups, is pleased to announce (subject to planning approval) plans to develop a new state-of-the-art hospital in the Milton Keynes area. Following-on from our newly opened facilities in Manchester and Nottingham, the Milton Keynes site will incorporate the most modern healthcare technology, with a capital investment planned to be around £70m. A formal planning application will be submitted in autumn 2017, and the hospital is expected to open in early 2020.

Current plans for Spire Milton Keynes Hospital are for a contemporary and leading edge facility, housing the latest in medical technology and equipped for the most complex surgical procedures, and including:

·      54 patient beds;

·      a large outpatient area with 24 consulting rooms;

·      three laminar flow/laparoscopic theatres and a hybrid theatre/catheter lab;

·      a dedicated endoscopy suite;

·      a five bed Critical Care Unit;

·      a fixed MRI and CT facility.

With its central location and continually improving transport links, Milton Keynes has been the UK's fastest growing town over the last 10 years and is the home of the corporate or regional offices of a number of the UK's top companies.  This has resulted in strong employment growth and favourable demographics for independent healthcare.

In 2015, Milton Keynes Hospital entered into a partnership with the University of Buckingham to become an NHS University Teaching Hospital and create the UK's first independent medical school.  This has enabled the hospital to meet the growing needs of the local market and to attract, train and retain high quality healthcare professionals.

The Spire site is well located in the South East of Milton Keynes, less than a five minute drive from Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Simon Gordon, Spire Healthcare's Interim Chief Executive Officer, said:

"Spire Healthcare has been working closely with Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) for several months on our plans to develop a leading centre for healthcare in Milton Keynes.

"Our recent experience of opening hospitals in other parts of the country shows that these projects bring significant employment and economic benefits to the local community as well as much needed additional capacity to the local healthcare system.  As a resident in the area for over 40 years I have seen Milton Keynes grow into an incredibly successful, diverse and vibrant place and I expect our hospital to compliment the excellent services available to the local community.

"We are delighted to be joining the Kents Hill development and I'm sure MKDP will help ensure that this project maximises the benefits for the local community and surrounding area."

For further information please contact:

Spire Healthcare

Antony Mannion

Investor Relations Director

+44 (0)20 7427 9160

Maitland

Tom Eckersley

+44 (0)20 7379 5151

About Spire Healthcare

Spire Healthcare is a leading independent hospital group in the United Kingdom.  We deliver high standards of care, with integrity and compassion and from high-quality facilities to our insured, Self-pay and NHS patients.

From our 39 hospitals, 10 clinics and two Specialist Cancer Care Centres across England, Wales and Scotland, we provide diagnostics, in-patient, daycase and out-patient care.  We also own and operate sports medicine, physiotherapy and rehabilitation brand, Perform. 

Working in partnership with over 3,800 experienced consultants, our hospitals delivered tailored, personalised care to more than 274,000 in-patients and daycase patients in 2016.

 Spire Healthcare offers in-patient/daycase procedures in areas including orthopaedics, gynaecology, cardiology, neurology, oncology and general surgery and also diagnostic services including imaging and pathology, and is the principal independent provider by volume of knee and hip operations in the United Kingdom.  We also offers out-patient services, such as consulting, minor procedures, treatments, health checks and physiotherapy.