SME funder and loan provider River Capital backs advanced nurse practitioner Joanne McIntyre’s new Liverpool city region health clinic venture. Tony McDonough reports

Experienced advanced nurse practitioner Joanne McIntyre has secured £70,000 funding to open a new Liverpool city region health clinic.

SME funder and loan provider River Capital is providing the funding for the CQC-registered Promed Health Centre in Bootle. River Capital also said on Monday it had successfully exited a Cheshire-based bioanalytical specialist with a “sigificant return”.

Joanne’s new venture will provide a range of healthcare services including minor surgeries, diagnostics, weight management prescriptions, aesthetics and minor ailment treatments such as access to antibiotics for common infections.

It aims to offer faster, more affordable private access to healthcare for working professionals and local residents who are unable to get timely GP appointments.

She offers more than 15 years’ experience in the NHS and already runs her own successful nurse practitioner locum business. This funding allowed her to open Promed in newly refurbished premises on Stanley Road in early 2024.

This funding was utilised for start up costs, including equipment, and to refresh branding, collateral and its new website. Joanne now plans to secure further premises across Merseyside.

Joanne said: “There is huge demand for accessible private healthcare and our clinic will provide vital services for busy working people unable to get timely NHS treatment.

“We want to make a real difference to the health of people in our community and services such as our routine blood screening for early identification of some common cancers will help us do this.”

The clinic’s selling point is its opening hours, with appointments available from 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm Saturday and Sundays 10.30am to 3pm as well as same day bookings for acute conditions.

Sue Chambers, River Capital investment manager, added: “We are thrilled to support Joanne’s vision for increased healthcare access through Promed Health Centre. 

“She is an incredibly skilled nurse practitioner with the drive and expertise to provide vital services outside NHS schedules.

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Liverpool-based River Capital has also announced its successful exit from Alderley Analytical, a leading independent contract research organisation specialising in bioanalytical services. 

This exit comes as part of Alderley Analytical’s acquisition by Synexa Life Sciences, a Dutch-based company backed by major European healthcare investor Gilde Healthcare.

An initial six-figure investment was made in July 2015 through the North West Biomedical Fund, which was initially managed by SPARK Impact and who have since operationally merged with River Capital. 

This investment has yielded substantial returns, with the fund expecting to receive more than four times its initial funding.