ExcellCare signs £50m Leicester LIFT project

ExcellCare Ltd, a jv between Equion and the Bank of Scotland, has signed a £50m public private sector partnership contract with the Department of Health to deliver 21st century primary health and social care facilities in Leicester.

The agreement, through Partnerships for Health, will be delivered under the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) initiative.

Leicester is the fourth of ExcellCare's six LIFT projects to reach financial close after Sandwell in January, Greater Nottingham in June and MaST (Manchester, Salford and Trafford) in July.

The project will provide local communities with improved access to a greater range of health and community care services brought together onto single sites, and include delivery of a major ‘one-stop’ centre in Charnwood.

The centre will accommodate 19 service providers including GP practices, mental health services, older persons and family services, dentists, community nurses, outpatients, physiotherapy and a pharmacy.

The first phase of the project will cost around £9m and include two separate schemes in Narborough Road and St Peters.  Work will begin later this month with the first two schemes due to be operational by May 2006.

Public sector participants in the Leicester LIFT are Eastern Leicester Primary Care Trust, Leicester City West Primary Care Trust and Leicestershire Partnerships NHS Trust.

ExcellCare chief executive Alan Prigmore said:  “This is ExcellCare’s fourth LIFT project and we will build on our track-record within the sector to develop flexible solutions to meet the requirements of health and other service requirements for local communities, now and in the future."