The Daughters of the Cross of Liege, the UK’s 69th largest charity by income, has confirmed that it will sell its private hospital, St Anthony’s, to Spire Healthcare, in spite of fierce opposition from local residents and politicians.

St Anthony’s is a 92-bed private hospital based in Sutton, Surrey, which was founded more than 100 years ago.  It is on the same site as a hospice owned by the charity and local protestors were concerned that as St Anthony’s and the hospice shared back-office functions, the sale of the hospital would saddle the hospice with additional costs which could threaten its future viability.

However, the nuns that run the charity said any extra costs would simply be absorbed by the charity and that the hospice was not at risk of closure.  The Charity Commission was asked to investigate but found no evidence that the trustees had acted in any way contrary to the best interests of their charity.

The nuns had decided to sell the hospital as part of a wider restructuring of the charity’s property and service portfolio.  The Daughters of the Cross run various hospitals, hospices and care homes around the UK but have decided to rationalise their portfolio in recognition of the trustees’ advancing years and their acceptance that they cannot run the charity forever.

They say there is a dwindling pool of nuns available to succeed them as trustees of the charity.

Spire Healthcare is the second-largest private healthcare provider in the UK with 38 hospitals, 11 clinics plus other services.