REG-Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC: Result of AGM

Worldwide Healthcare TrustAnnouncement

09/07/2025 17:15

WORLDWIDE HEALTHCARE TRUST PLC

 

 

Results of the Annual General Meeting

 

The following resolutions were passed by shareholders on a poll at the Annual
General Meeting of the Company held on Wednesday, 9 July 2025. The level of
votes received is shown below.

 

 Resolutions                                                                                                                              Votes For    %       Votes Against  %       Total Votes Cast  Votes Withheld*  
 Ordinary Resolutions                                                                                                                                                                                                    
 1. To receive and consider the audited accounts and the Report of the Directors for the year ended 31 March 2025.                        232,684,995  99.95%  122,785        0.05%   232,807,780       91,481           
 1. To approve the payment of a final dividend of 1.7p per ordinary share for the year ended 31 March 2025.                               232,750,414  99.97%  76,149         0.03%   232,826,563       72,698           
 1. To approve the Company's dividend policy as set out on page 29 of the Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2025.                 232,661,325  99.95%  126,643        0.05%   232,787,968       111,293          
 1. To elect Ms Sian Hansen as a Director of the Company.                                                                                 229,353,500  98.55%  3,367,485      1.45%   232,720,985       178,276          
 1. To elect Mr William Hemmings as a Director of the Company.                                                                            229,388,731  98.57%  3,330,635      1.43%   232,719,366       179,895          
 1. To re-elect Mr Doug McCutcheon as a Director of the Company.                                                                          161,897,328  69.56%  70,835,575     30.44%  232,732,903       166,358          
 1. To re-elect Mr Sven Borho as a Director of the Company.                                                                               157,850,290  67.85%  74,801,769     32.15%  232,652,059       247,202          
 1. To re-elect Dr Bina Rawal as a Director of the Company.                                                                               226,566,723  97.36%  6,143,307      2.64%   232,710,030       189,231          
 1. To re-elect Mr Tim Livett as a Director of the Company.                                                                               165,921,723  96.43%  6,140,802      3.57%   172,062,525       60,836,736       
 1. To re-elect Ms Jo Parfrey as a Director of the Company.                                                                               226,482,835  97.34%  6,183,404      2.66%   232,666,239       233,022          
 1. To re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditor and to authorise the Audit Committee to determine their remuneration.             232,402,256  99.90%  221,142        0.10%   232,623,398       275,863          
 1. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 March 2025.                                                       232,375,599  99.85%  346,670        0.15%   232,722,269       176,992          
 1. To authorise the Directors to allot securities in the Company.                                                                        229,486,654  98.57%  3,325,396      1.43%   232,812,050       87,211           
 Special Resolutions                                                                                                                                                                                                     
 1. To disapply the rights of pre -emption in relation to the allotment of securities.                                                    229,280,601  98.48%  3,536,994      1.52%   232,817,595       81,666           
 1. To sell relevant shares for cash as if, immediately before the sale such shares are held by the Company as treasury shares.           229,273,905  98.48%  3,531,040      1.52%   232,804,945       94,316           
 1. To authorise the Company to make market purchases of shares in the Company.                                                           228,590,516  98.17%  4,249,718      1.83%   232,840,234       59,027           
 1. That any General Meeting of the Company (other than the Annual General Meeting) shall be called by notice of at least 14 clear days.  219,935,926  94.48%  12,850,113     5.52%   232,786,039       113,222          

 

* Please note that `Vote withheld' is not a vote in law and is not counted in
the calculation of the proportion of votes `For' and `Against `a resolution.

 

Any proxy votes which are at the discretion of the Chair of the Meeting have
been included in the "for" total. A vote withheld is not a vote in law and is
not counted in the calculations of votes cast by proxy.

 

At the date of the AGM the total number of Ordinary shares of 2.5p each in
issue was 464,324,357 (with 137,340,843 shares held in treasury). The total
number of voting rights was 464,324,357.

 

The voting figures will shortly also be available on the Company's website at
www.worldwidewh.com

 

All of the resolutions proposed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) were
passed. The majority of resolutions passed with votes in favour in excess of
94%. The votes in favour of Resolution 6 to re-elect Doug McCutcheon and
Resolution 7 to re-elect Sven Borho as directors of the Company, were 70% and
68% in favour respectively.

 

Where 20% or more of votes have been cast against any shareholder resolution,
the Company is required by provision 4 of the UK Corporate Governance Code to
explain what action it will take to consult shareholders to understand the
reasons behind the result.

 

The Board understands that some shareholders deem Mr McCutcheon to no longer
be independent, due to his length of service (12 years) on the Board. Also,
that Mr Borho should not be a Director of the Company due to his role as a
Managing Partner at OrbiMed Capital LLC, the Company's Portfolio Manager.

 

As stated in this year's Annual Report, in 2022 the Board asked Mr McCutcheon
to extend his term for a period of three to five years by taking on the role
of Chair. This was in order to oversee the renewal of the Board, including the
retirement and replacement of all but one of the Directors, as well as
changing the composition and leadership of all of the Board's Committees. Good
progress has been made with regard to the Board's evolution. As such, and as
previously stated, Mr McCutcheon will be retiring from the Board at the
conclusion of the Annual General Meeting to be held in July 2026. The process
for appointing his successor is underway and the Company expects to announce
the Company's new Chair-elect in the autumn.

 

Mr Borho was appointed a Director of the Company in June 2018. The Board
believes that the Company continues to benefit from his extensive knowledge
and experience in investment matters. The Board has also taken steps to avoid
any potential conflicts of interest. Regular meetings of the independent
Directors only are held, Mr Borho does not sit on any of the Board's
Committees and he does not receive a fee for serving as a Director.

 

The Board has and will continue to engage with shareholders on these and other
matters.

 

 

In accordance with the UK Listing Rules 6.4.2 and 6.4.3, the full text of the
resolutions passed has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and
will shortly be available for inspection at
https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism. All resolutions will
additionally be filed at Companies House.

 

 

9 July 2025

 

For further information please contact:

 

Mark Pope Frostrow Capital LLP - Company Secretary 020 3 008 4913



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