5th Nov 2007 07:01
Southern Cross Healthcare Grp PLC05 November 2007 Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC Response to Press Comment Monday, 5 November 2007 - Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC (LSE: SCHE)('Southern Cross' or the 'Company'), the UK's largest care home provider, notesthe contents of an article in yesterday's Sunday Times which contained a numberof allegations regarding the standard of care at one of the Company's AshbourneSenior Living Homes in Solihull, West Midlands. Southern Cross is a reputable care provider, which has over 36,000 beds in over700 care homes across the UK. The Company employs over 41,000 people. Its aimis to provide a safe, caring and relaxing environment for people who are unableto remain in their own homes. Capital spending on the structure of SouthernCross' homes, staff training and health and safety investment have all increasedas a direct result of the Company's healthy financial position. Southern Cross has given serious consideration to the allegations made in theSunday Times article. Based on the limited evidence that has been madeavailable to the Company by the Sunday Times, Southern Cross has undertaken athorough investigation of the issues raised and is satisfied that the homeoperates to a good standard, is caring and well-run. Southern Cross hasrestated its company policies to all staff to ensure that the Company continuesto provide the right environment for the care of older people. A full rebuttalto the allegations made in the Sunday Times article is on the Company's websiteat www.schealthcare.co.uk. - ends - Enquiries: Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC Tel: +44 (0)1325 351100Philip Scott, Chief ExecutiveGraham Sizer, Finance Director Financial Dynamics Tel: +44 (0)20 7831 3113David YatesDeborah ScottEmma Thompson Notes to Editors About Southern Cross Southern Cross is, in terms of number of beds, the largest UK provider of carehome services for the elderly and a major provider of specialist services forpeople with physical and/or learning disabilities. The Company's care homes forthe elderly operate under two distinct brands: Southern Cross Healthcare andAshbourne Senior Living. Both brands provide a range of social and personalcare services and nursing care services for elderly people with physicalfrailties and differing forms of dementia. The Company's specialist servicesoperate under the Active Care Partnerships brand and provide long-term careservices for people with physical and/or learning disabilities and for youngerpeople with complex forms of challenging behaviour. Southern Cross is focused on providing high quality care in well investedfacilities, seeking to be the home of choice in each local community in which itoperates. The Company provides care services for most of the local authoritiesin the UK which, together with the NHS, represent over circa 70% of theCompany's revenues. Its care home portfolio is largely purpose-built with ahigh percentage of single occupancy rooms and rooms with ensuite bathrooms.Occupancy levels in its core elderly segment are consistently in excess of 90%. This announcement includes statements that are, or may deemed to be, "forwardlooking statements". These forward looking statements can be identified by theuse of forward looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates","plans", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparableterminology. These forward looking statements include matters that are nothistorical facts and include statements regarding the Company's intentions,beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the Company'sresults of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth,strategies and the outlook on the care home industry. By their nature, forwardlooking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to futureevents and circumstances. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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