Circle Named as Preferred Partner to run First Franchised NHS Trust

LONDON, November 25, 2010 - Circle, the employee-owned social enterprise, has today been
chosen as the preferred partner to run Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust in
Huntingdonshire.

In a historic move, the East of England Strategic Health
Authority (SHA) has selected a non-state owned provider to take over the
delivery of NHS services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

Circle have a unique partnership model, where everyone from
the consultants to the cleaners are co-owners in the business, as well as
their track record in turning round NHS services by empowering front-line
employees.

Employing over 1,000 seconded NHS staff and treating more than
130,000 patients each year, Circle's NHS day-surgery hospitals in Nottingham
and Burton delivered over 20% productivity gains in their first year of
Circle operation, at the same time as improving patient outcomes to four
times better than the national benchmark, patient satisfaction to 99.4% and
staff satisfaction to 91%.

Dr Stephen Dunn, Director of Strategy at NHS East of England,
said: "Circle's John Lewis style partnership model and track record of
turning around NHS services make them our preferred partner to transform the
first NHS Trust to be franchised. We are impressed by the way Circle devolves
decision-making to those closest to patients, and empower doctors, nurses and
all staff to innovate to deliver better care for their patients."

"In Circle, we have selected a cutting edge partner with an
innovative approach to propel Hinchingbrooke into the premier league. This
has to be a model for hospitals that face similar challenges nationally."

Ali Parsa, Circle's Managing Partner, said: "Circle's
co-operative model offers a Big Society solution for Hinchingbrooke -
liberating doctors and nurses to deliver the best services for the patients
they know best. This is a great opportunity for a social enterprise and local
clinicians to come together to lead the next chapter in the long and
successful history of the NHS. Through this unique partnership, we will
continue to provide high-quality NHS services that are free at the point of
use for the people of Huntingdon. We'd like to thank the Strategic Health
Authority and Department of Health for their willingness to think outside the
box to secure the highest quality services for patients in Huntingdon."

Notes to Editors:

1. The announcement of Circle as preferred bidder concludes a 17-month
long process to find the right franchise partner. Circle will work through
the franchise contractual details with the East of England Strategic Health
Authority over the next few months and take over the day-to-day running of
the trust in June 2011.

2. Circle will keep and operate Hinchingbrooke as an independent NHS
trust, providing patients with local, high-quality NHS services, free at the
point of use.

3. Circle is an employee-owned social enterprise that forms the largest
partnership of clinicians in Europe - over 2,000. Circle is co-owned and
managed by the doctors, nurses and all staff who work in Circle's hospitals,
treatment centres and clinics.

4. Circle has significant experience of transforming existing NHS
services from their Nottingham and Midlands NHS day surgery hospitals, where
Circle treats over130,000 NHS patients per annum and delivered over 20%
productivity improvements during its first year of operation.

5. Circle built and runs a hospital in Bath - CircleBath - where it
treats private and NHS patients. CircleBath opened in March 2010 is a 6,500
square metre hospital with 4 operating theatres, 30 private, en-suite
in-patient bedrooms and 18 day-surgery beds.

6. Additionally Circle also owns and runs two surgical clinics in Windsor
and Stratford.

7. Circle plans to build up to 30 hospitals across the UK over the coming
years.

For further information please contact Christina Lineen or Katherine
Gershon at Circle on +44(0)207-034-5250.

For further information please contact Christina Lineen or Katherine Gershon at Circle on +44(0)207-034-5250.