Nuffield Health, the largest not-for-profit independent healthcare provider in the UK, today reported a positive first quarter performance during which revenues totalled £140.1 million; £1.1 million ahead of expectations.

EBITDA performance - Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization - was also good, with Q1 profit at £17.4 million; £0.3 million ahead of 2009 on a like-for-like basis.

The charity, which last year helped more than 750,000 people improve their health, also saw the first signs of improvement in its fitness and wellbeing services as a result of its strategy to bring healthcare expertise to the traditional gym and fitness market.

Nuffield Health, which has a 53-year history in hospital healthcare acquired Cannons Health and Fitness in 2008.

It has since set about integrating the organisation and transforming it to provide members and patients greater opportunity to access a broader range and combination of expert healthcare services; from health assessment and maintenance through to prevention, treatment and health rehabilitation.

As a result, clinical services are now currently being rolled out in Fitness and Wellbeing centres across the UK by almost 250 trained Senior Wellbeing Advisors and physiotherapists.

Other highlights from within the Nuffield Health Group in Q1 include:

• Net Fitness and Wellbeing memberships (the difference between leavers and joiners) increased by 8% compared to the same period in 2009

• Membership numbers are bolstered by a programme offering corporate gym members a supplementary membership at their local commercial gym

• The popularity of the 'Health MOT' service, offered free to members as part of a health maintenance programme, continues to support membership numbers through improved retention rates and is now being used by around 30% of members

• Personal Training revenues are up by 35% on a like for like basis

• Clinical services revenues grew 6% year on year despite the impact of bad weather in January and is forecast to continue to grow throughout the year.

• Nine current integrated centres are on track to deliver almost £2.4 million of additional revenue in 2010 with the development of new capacity in six further centres in 2010

• Strong hospital division performance: reports a 6% increase in activity compared to Q1 2009 with a resurgence in self-pay (up 4% year on year) and NHS activity (up 19% year on year) counteracting a slight reduction in insured revenue

• Commitment to continued significant investment in the Hospital network, with funding for a refurbishment of our Tunbridge Wells Hospital the first in a programme of major capital projects planned

David Mobbs, CEO of Nuffield Health, said, "As well as demonstrating our key objective as a charity; to make a positive difference to people's health, these results prove that by looking at health differently, we have also been able to begin to reverse the decline in the performance in the Fitness and Wellbeing business caused by the severe economic conditions in recent years.

"We understand that people, now more than ever, are looking for more than just equipment and a shower; they are looking for expertise and support to help them become and stay healthy, as well get fit."

Other clinical healthcare initiatives being offered across the Fitness and Wellbeing portfolio include monthly "Meet Our Experts" drop in health events, free to members and their guests, which provide access to physiologists, physiotherapists, doctors and wellbeing advisors expert on specific health themes such as cancer awareness and stress management.

In 2010, the emphasis will also be on developing specialist programmes to assist specific and high-risk health conditions such as stroke, cardiac, musculo-skeletal disorders and weight management services.

An innovative clinically-led Diabetes Programme has already been developed in conjunction with Diabetes UK to support monitored activity and lifestyle change for individuals with type-2 diabetes, and is further supported by a 12-week course, not generally available through the NHS.

Nuffield Health hospital patients are also benefiting from the integration.

Those undergoing serious hospital treatment, can now receive greater support in their ongoing rehabilitation through Recovery Plus, an initiative which allows them once they have left hospital to continue their rehabilitation and activity programme at a Fitness and Wellbeing Centre, under the guidance of health experts and physiotherapists.

Mobbs continued: "Our hospital services are still core to our offering and we are pleased to be seeing improvements in performance there too; with self-pay patients returning following the recession and activity in NHS continuing to increase.

"However, just over two years ago we recognised that more people could benefit from our clinical expertise to help them make health and lifestyle changes that could in time save them, and indeed the NHS, from undertaking treatment for serious but preventable illnesses. In other words we are filling a gap that the NHS does not have resource to fill and that other commercial gym operators cannot fill due to either lack of expertise.

"As an independent, not-for-profit organisation that re-invests its profits back into the organisation - almost £400 million in the last five years - our advantage is that we are able to take a long-term and more joined-up view about healthcare. This means long-term benefits for improving consumer health, rather than short-term benefits for investors."

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