South East: Lloyds Bank boosts support for healthcare sector

Lloyds Bank has strengthened its support for healthcare businesses in the South East with the appointment of a new area director to its commercial banking division.

In his role as area director for healthcare in the region, Jonathan Rowe will lead a team of seven relationship managers and directors with more than 50 years’ combined experience specialising in providing the South East healthcare sector with expert insight, lending and working capital support.

Rowe moves from his previous post as area director for Gatwick and brings with him more than 10 years of financial services experience. As part of his new role, he and his team will look to further enhance the bank’s portfolio of healthcare clients – including general practitioners, dentists, vets, pharmacists and day care nurseries – with a focus on delivering tailored finance, sector insight, and support to SMEs.

Rowe's appointment comes at a time when many South East businesses are still feeling the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with Lloyds Bank January Business Barometer revealing that, despite reaching its highest level since August, business confidence across the region remains in negative territory.

Furthermore, Lloyds Bank’s latest Healthcare Confidence Index showed that national net confidence of primary healthcare professionals fell from an all-time high last year as the sector faced the huge pressures of the pandemic and adapted to new ways of working with patients and clients.

Rowe, South East area director for healthcare at Lloyds Bank, said: “We have a team of sector specialists here in the South East committed to helping the region’s healthcare clients. Our healthcare clients are intrinsically linked to the communities they serve and, by supporting these clients, we are underpinning our commitment to local communities.

“When looking to the future, it’s vital that clients can speak to someone that truly understands their ambitions and the challenges they face. By ensuring these clients have access to the financial expertise and funding needed to build confidence and plan ahead during these uncertain times, we hope that our support will be invaluable in supporting their ambitions in the years to come.”