£1.5bn General Healthcare CMBS restructuring finally gets the go-ahead

Bondholders have consented to a restructuring of £1.5bn of debt secured by a 35 –strong portfolio of General Healthcare Group's UK private hospitals. This brings to a close nearly two years of negotiations among borrowers, bondholders and lenders to refinance its loans. The new structure involves group of junior bondholders injecting £175m and taking control of the assets. Senior lenders will be partially repaid; amoritisation is increased and the interest rate on senior and one junior tranche is being increased. A long-dated interest rate swap – whose mark-to-market value is currently around £675m – is being partially crystallised and replaced by new hedging arrangements.