Management Appointments

Management Appointments

21 March 2011 - Southern Cross Healthcare Group plc (LSE: SCHE) (the "Company" or "The Group"), the UK's largest provider of residential and nursing care with over 31,000 residents cared for by 45,000 staff in 750 locations, announces the following appointments to its management team:

Tim Bolot has been appointed Director of Financial Restructuring and will join the Board, effective at the end of the Company's AGM on 22 March 2011. Mr Bolot will be responsible for the work connected with the Company's recently announced restructuring and will report to its Chief Executive, Jamie Buchan. Mr Bolot, who is a barrister and a chartered accountant, has extensive experience of restructuring within the healthcare industry, most recently in the NHS, and brings additional skills and expertise to the Board.

Frank McCormack has been appointed as General Counsel and Company Secretary. Mr McCormack was previously with Balfour Beatty for 22 years in senior legal roles and replaces the current Company Secretary, William McLeish, who is stepping down after five years with the Group.

Amy Kroviak joins the Company as Director of Communications. Ms Kroviak has over 15 years experience in corporate communications and was previously a director at Luther Pendragon.

Andrew Sellers has joined the Company as Group Financial Controller. Mr Sellers qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young in London before relocating to the North East of England where he has worked at Board level in a number of organisations.

Ray Miles, Chairman, said "The Board is committed to ensure that it has available to it, all the skills required to successfully tackle the restructuring process which is now underway and to attract new investment into the business. The appointment of Tim Bolot is key to this."

Jamie Buchan, Chief Executive, said "The appointment of this strong group of professionals further strengthens the senior team at an important time. Tim, Frank, Amy and Andrew all share our vision for the future success of Southern Cross and I am confident that they will play a central role as we face the challenges that lie ahead."

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About Southern Cross

Southern Cross is, in terms of number of beds, the largest UK provider of care home services for the elderly and a major provider of specialist services for people with physical and/or learning disabilities. The Group's care homes for the elderly operate under two distinct brands: Southern Cross Healthcare and Ashbourne Senior Living. Both brands provide a range of social and personal care services and nursing care services for elderly people with physical frailties and differing forms of dementia. The Group's specialist services operate under the Active Care Partnerships brand and provide long-term care services for people with physical and/or learning disabilities and for younger people with complex forms of challenging behaviour.

Southern Cross is focused on providing high quality care in well invested facilities, seeking to be the home of choice in each local community in which it operates. The Group provides care services for most of the local authorities in the UK which, together with the NHS, represent circa 78% of the Group's revenues. Its care home portfolio is largely purpose-built with a high percentage of single occupancy rooms and rooms with ensuite bathrooms.