A NEW health centre has received a major funding boost from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The bank has injected funds of £35.5 million as lead provider to Mercury Health Ltd to develop its South East healthcare operation to include its diagnostic centre in High Wycombe.

Mercury Healthcare at Unit 2, The Merlin Centre on the Cressex Business Park will perform X-rays and MRI and ultrasound scans. It is a joint project between Buckinghamshire's three primary care trusts which buy patient treatment and Mercury Healthcare. It is expected to be operational in August.

Mercury Health Ltd is owned by national public services provider Tribal Group plc, the new healthcare delivery arm of the group specialising in independent sector treatment centre.

The company has been funded to set up five operational units in the South East region, comprising Haywards Heath, Portsmouth, Medway and Havant, as well as High Wycombe.

It is part of a national programme designed to provide additional capacity to that already operated by the NHS with services being contracted over a five-year period.

The funding package consisted of £33.5 million co-underwritten term debt, £2 million working working capital plus £6.5 million of operating lease finance arranged by the group's asset finance partner Lombard North Central plc.

The 23,500 sq ft industrial warehouse was let through Marlow agent Deriaz Slater Commercial. Subsequently Arlington Property Investors, also clients of Deriaz Slater, granted a new lease to Mercury Healthcare.