Listed healthcare property firm Assura Group today announced a deal to sell its interests in seven companies.

It is disposing of the equity and loan notes it has in the LIFT companies for a combined price of £22.4million.

LIFT – Local Improvement Finance Trusts – used combined public and private sector investments to develop primary healthcare facilities that were then let to NHS bodies on long-term leases.

Assura, in Warrington, builds and lets GP surgeries and other healthcare properties.

It said the deal represents a premium over the current book value of the assets of £11.2m.

Assura chief executive Graham Roberts said: “Following this sale announced today, we have now realised more than £30m from our non-core assets and LIFT investments in the last 18 months, as we to continue to increase our focus on developing, owning and managing primary care properties.”