Altrincham-based healthcare real estate investment trust Assura plc said it now has 625 properties in its portfolio with an annualised rent roll of £179.1 million, up from £150.6 million six months ago. 

Jonathan Murphy, CEO, said: “We have made strong strategic progress in the first half of the year. The £500 million acquisition in August of a private hospital portfolio accelerates the delivery of our broader healthcare strategy while our £250 million joint venture with USS diversifies our funding. We are also very pleased to have been certified as the first FTSE 250 B Corp recognising our high standards of social and environmental performance.”

“The purchase of 14 UK private hospitals materially increases our exposure to the structurally supported private healthcare market as we continue to diversify our offering to meet changing UK healthcare demands. The joint venture with USS, the UK’s leading private pension scheme, provides a new source of funding and opportunities to recycle capital into our growth pipeline.”

In the latest six-month period, it said it completed three developments with a total combined spend of £46 million; a GP surgery in Shirley, ambulance hub at Bury St Edmunds and its  largest in-house development project to date of the Northumbria Health & Care Academy at Cramlington.

It said full results for the six months ended 30 September will be announced on 14 November.