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Bidding battle for NHS landlord Assura intensifies as watchdog steps up investigation Bidding battle for NHS landlord Assura intensifies as watchdog steps up investigation
(about 1 hour later)
US suitor KKR lobbies board to accept offer, while CMA looks into £1.79bn offer by rival UK healthcare investor US suitor KKR lobbies board to accept offer to take Assura private as CMA looks into £1.79bn offer by rival UK investor
The bidding battle for the NHS landlord Assura has heated up after its US suitor KKR lobbied the board to accept its offer, while the competition watchdog stepped up its investigation of Assura’s £1.79bn takeover by a rival UK healthcare investor. The bidding battle for the NHS landlord Assura has heated up after its US suitor KKR lobbied the board to accept its offer, while the competition watchdog stepped up its investigation of Assura’s £1.7bn takeover by a rival UK healthcare investor.
Primary Health Properties (PHP), which invests in buildings housing GP practices, has been blocked from fully integrating Assura by the Competition and Markets Authority while it looks into the takeover.Primary Health Properties (PHP), which invests in buildings housing GP practices, has been blocked from fully integrating Assura by the Competition and Markets Authority while it looks into the takeover.
The watchdog said it had served an initial enforcement order on the companies, after launching an investigation into the takeover last month to determine whether the deal would “result in a substantial lessening of competition”.The watchdog said it had served an initial enforcement order on the companies, after launching an investigation into the takeover last month to determine whether the deal would “result in a substantial lessening of competition”.
PHP won backing from Assura’s board in June for the acquisition, after a lengthy bidding war with the New York-based private equity firm KKR. PHP won backing from Assura’s board in June for its cash and shares offer worth £1.79bn at the time, after a lengthy bidding war with the New York-based private equity firm KKR.
Assura, which was founded in Altrincham in Greater Manchester in 2003, has a market value of £1.6bn. FTSE 250-listed Assura, which was founded in Altrincham in Greater Manchester in 2003, now has a market value of £1.6bn
Last August it struck a £500m deal with a Canadian investor to buy 14 private hospitals across the UK, including Cancer Centre London and the Edgbaston hospital in Birmingham. Assura has been buying healthcare properties at a time when the NHS remains under immense pressure to reduce long waiting times for operations and other treatments. Last August it struck a £500m deal with a Canadian investor to buy 14 private hospitals across the UK, including Cancer Centre London and the Edgbaston hospital in Birmingham. Assura has been buying healthcare properties at a time when the NHS remains under immense pressure to reduce long waiting times for operations and other treatments, and demand for private care has increased.
It emerged on Friday that KKR has urged Assura’s board to back its takeover bid and withdraw its support for PHP’s offer. KKR, which is leading the bid with Stonepeak Partners, said it had met the board of Assura in recent days to lobby for its own cash takeover of the company. In a statement, KKR said it had urged Assura’s board to back its takeover bid, which would take Assura private, and withdraw its support for PHP’s offer. KKR, which is leading the bid with the investment firm Stonepeak Partners, said it had met the board of Assura in recent days to lobby for its own cash takeover of the company, worth £1.696bn.
KKR and PHP were locked in a takeover battle for Assura for months before Assura’s board backed PHP’s higher bid in June. The US private equity firm argues that a number of factors have changed since Assura threw its support behind PHP’s offer, including a decline in the share price of both companies that means KKR’s cash bid is now slightly higher than PHP’s cash and shares offer.
The US private equity firm argues that a number of factors have changed since Assura threw its support behind PHP’s offer, including a decline in the share price of both companies, which it said had raised the premium of its own cash offer. KKR also argued that its takeover bid raised no competition concerns, while Assura and PHP would probably be forced to sell some assets if they were to join forces. . However, some shareholders prefer to hold a stake in a listed entity.
Assura owns 603 properties housing GP practices and hospitals in the UK, which serve more than 6 million patients, and many of which are rented to the NHS. They were valued at £3.1bn at the end of March, up from £2.7bn the year before. Investment in the NHS estate and managing it better is part of the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS, which was published last month. “From high street drop-in centres to digitally enabled diagnostic hubs, the future of healthcare delivery depends on transforming existing spaces,” according to NHS Property Services.
Assura owns 603 properties housing doctor’s surgeries and hospitals in the UK, which serve more than 6 million patients, and many of which are rented to the NHS. They were valued at £3.1bn at the end of March, up from £2.7bn the year before.
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Its rental income climbed by 16.6% to £167m during the year, as the company raised its rents by 3.2%. This meant it moved into the black with a pre-tax profit of £166m, against a loss of £28.7m the year before. Its rental income climbed by 16.6% to £167m during the year, as the company raised its rents by 3.2%. This meant it made a pre-tax profit of £166m, against a loss of £28.7m the year before.
PHP owns 516 properties housing GPs in the UK and Ireland valued at £2.8bn, and made £153.6m in rental income last year.PHP owns 516 properties housing GPs in the UK and Ireland valued at £2.8bn, and made £153.6m in rental income last year.
In early June, KKR pulled out of a deal to inject fresh equity into Thames Water, leaving the troubled supplier’s future in doubt and increasing the prospects of a temporary nationalisation. KKR was in the news in early June when it pulled out of a deal to inject fresh equity into Thames Water, leaving the troubled supplier’s future in doubt and increasing the prospects of a temporary nationalisation.