Southampton: Blake Lapthorn advises on landmark hospital deal
Law firm Blake Lapthorn has advised on a landmark deal that sees the first joint venture between the NHS and a private healthcare provider to acquire a hospital. The corporate and real estate teams at Blake Lapthorn’s Southampton office advised Albion Ventures and Orchard Portman Hospitals on its sale of Nelson House Hospital, a mental health rehabilitation hospital in Gosport. A new hospital, Nelson House, opened in May 2012 and was backed by Orchard Portman Hospitals and Albion Ventures, one of the largest venture capital investors in the UK.
The hospital offers care and treatment to male patients aged 18 to 65 as they continue their recovery and aim towards independent living. All patients are paid for by the NHS and come from NHS hospitals as well as private mental hospitals used by the NHS. The hospital was purchased by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the healthcare company Care UK, which formed a joint venture to do so.
Irene Lawrenson, of Blake Lapthorn’s corporate and commercial department, said: “This deal was a first for the UK and may well be something we will see a lot more of in the coming years. I’m delighted we were able to secure such a good result for our clients.”