RNS Number : 3133Y<fipBR>

Southern Cross Healthcare Grp PLC<fipBR>

04 July 2008<fipBR>

<fipBR> <fipP> </fipP> <fipP>Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>Board Appointments</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>Friday, 4 July 2008 - Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC ("Southern<fipWRAP> Cross", the "Group" or the "Company") today </fipP> <fipP>confirms that Richard Midmer has joined the Board of Directors of the<fipWRAP> Group, following his appointment as Finance Director announced on 30 June 2008.<fipWRAP> Southern Cross also announces a further strengthening of the Board through the<fipWRAP> promotion of Kamma Foulkes to Executive Director of the Company with<fipWRAP> responsibility for Elderly Care. John Murphy, who remains an Executive Director,<fipWRAP> will take sole charge of Acquisitions and Developments and retain responsibility<fipWRAP> for the Group's Active Care division and management of the supply chain.</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>Richard Midmer was previously Group Finance Director of NHP plc, the<fipWRAP> quoted care home company, from November 2000 until its acquisition in February<fipWRAP> 2005. He is a non-executive Director of CareTech Holdings plc and Rugby Estates<fipWRAP> Investment Trust plc. </fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>Kamma Foulkes, currently Managing Director of the Group's 324 homes in<fipWRAP> the Southern division, has over 15 years experience in the care sector and<fipWRAP> joined the Group in 1998. She is a registered nurse.</fipP> <fipP> </fipP> <fipP>Ray Miles, Chairman of Southern Cross, said: "Richard and Kamma are<fipWRAP> important additions to the Board of Directors. Richard is highly experienced in<fipWRAP> finance, project management, elderly care and the PLC environment and he knows<fipWRAP> our business well. Kamma currently oversees the operations of the Group's<fipWRAP> Southern division and her experience and knowledge will provide a highly<fipWRAP> valuable insight to the Board." </fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>There are no further details to be disclosed pursuant to Listing Rules<fipWRAP> LR9.6.13.</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>For further information, please contact: </fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP>

Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC<fipBR>

Bill Colvin, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +44 (0)1325 351100<fipBR>

Richard Midmer, Finance Director<fipBR> <fipBR> <fipBR>

Financial Dynamics Tel: +44 (0)20 7831 3113<fipBR>

David Yates<fipBR>

Emma Thompson<fipBR> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>About Southern Cross</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>Southern Cross is, in terms of number of beds, the largest UK provider of<fipWRAP> care home services for the elderly and a major provider of specialist services<fipWRAP> for people with physical and/or learning disabilities. The Company's care homes<fipWRAP> for the elderly operate under two distinct brands: Southern Cross Healthcare and<fipWRAP> Ashbourne Senior Living. Both brands provide a range of social and personal care<fipWRAP> services and nursing care services for elderly people with physical frailties<fipWRAP> and differing forms of dementia. The Company's specialist services operate under<fipWRAP> the Active Care Partnerships brand and provide long-term care services for<fipWRAP> people with physical and/or learning disabilities and for younger people with<fipWRAP> complex forms of challenging behaviour.</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> </fipP> <fipP>Southern Cross is focused on providing high quality care in well invested<fipWRAP> facilities, seeking to be the home of choice in each local community in which it<fipWRAP> operates. The Company provides care services for most of the local authorities<fipWRAP> in the UK which, together with the NHS, represent over circa 70% of the<fipWRAP> Company's revenues. Its care home portfolio is largely purpose-built with a high<fipWRAP> percentage of single occupancy rooms and rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Occupancy<fipWRAP> levels in its core elderly segment are consistently in excess of 90%.</fipP> <fipP><fipBR> This announcement includes statements that are, or may deemed to be, "forward<fipWRAP> looking statements". These forward looking statements can be identified by the<fipWRAP> use of forward looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates",<fipWRAP> "plans", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", or "<fipWRAP> should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable<fipWRAP> terminology. These forward looking statements include matters that are not<fipWRAP> historical facts and include statements regarding the Company's intentions,<fipWRAP> beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the Company's<fipWRAP> results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth,<fipWRAP> strategies and the outlook on the care home industry. By their nature, forward<fipWRAP> looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future<fipWRAP> events and circumstances.<fipBR> </fipP> <fipBR> This information is provided by RNS<fipBR> The company news service from the London Stock Exchange<fipBR>

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