In spite of some recent attention-grabbing headlines to the contrary, we believe Australia’s private healthcare sector is still in good shape. In this article we look at the industry fundamentals which paint a different picture to that suggested by the headlines.
RAM’s decision to recalibrate the RAM Essential Services Property Fund (ASX: REP) from a 50:50 focus on neighbourhood retail and healthcare to a pure healthcare REIT reflects our confidence in the sector’s operational resilience and long-term fundamentals.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent Australian Industry release shows that Private Healthcare and Social Assistance achieved an EBITDA margin of 16.3%, ranking eighth among 19 industries. If we exclude Social Assistance (e.g. aged care and childcare) and focus on Hospitals, Medical and Other Healthcare Services, this margin increases to 25.2%, making it the third most profitable sector after Mining and Real Estate.

The Federal Government’s Private Hospital Sector Health Check reveals that 41.2% of total hospital admissions occur in private hospitals, up from 40.3% in 2018–19. Around 70% of elective surgeries take place in private facilities, and most private hospital patients stay for less than 24 hours. Operators delivering treatments for less severe, shorter-stay conditions are the biggest beneficiaries of these trends.
The best time to invest is when assets are undervalued and there is a tactical reduction in capital. High interest rates, rising operational costs, and constrained operator balance sheets have led to an underestimation of healthcare assets’ value. These conditions present an attractive opportunity and allow RAM to demonstrate its core objective of being a trusted partner to our operators.
How We Invest and How It Benefits REP Investors
RAM’s investment strategy prioritises diversification across healthcare sub-sectors, geographies, asset types, and tenant covenants to manage risks and capitalise on growth opportunities

We target profitable healthcare assets such as surgical day hospitals, IVF and radiology centres, mental health facilities, laboratories, and medical storage facilities. Facilities located in regions with strong population growth, ageing demographics, and increasing rates of chronic illnesses provide long-term stability, as demand ensures tenants’ businesses — and, by extension, our real estate assets — remain resilient.
Most importantly, we listen to our operating partners. Central to our approach is ongoing engagement with our tenants, which provides deep insights into opportunities for expansion and growth. We manage, build and redevelop facilities that support the most profitable parts of their businesses.
As an active manager, we carefully assess a wide range of risk assets and are acting on the opportunity by acquiring high-quality assets and progressing discussions for expansion and new construction. Naturally, not every opportunity initially aligns with the investment criteria of REP. In such cases, we leverage our broader managed vehicles to incubate and de-risk assets before integrating them into REP’s portfolio.
The result is an end-to-end portfolio of assets in a resilient and attractive asset class, offering unique advantages such as low volatility, tenant diversification, urban and regional diversification, high renewal rates, minimal capital expenditure leakage from modern properties, and long WALEs. As the sector continues to institutionalise, RAM is well-positioned to capitalise on both immediate opportunities and the sector’s long-term growth trajectory.

Ignore the noise: Australian healthcare real estate is alive with opportunity
Our investment team has prepared a full commentary that dives deeper into the trends shaping healthcare real estate, the sectors we are prioritising, and why now is the time to act. To gain a comprehensive understanding, download the full commentary below.
Download HereAbout RAM Essential Services Property Fund (ASX: REP)
RAM Essential Services Property Fund (REP) is a stapled real estate investment trust listed on the ASX. REP consists of a geographically diversified and defensive portfolio of medical and essential retail-based properties, underpinned by a high-quality tenant profile including leading national supermarkets and private hospital operators, and offers growth opportunities through significant value-add development potential. REP’s objective is to provide Securityholders with stable and secure income with the potential for both income and capital growth through exposure to a high quality, defensive portfolio of assets with favourable sector trends.
RAM Property Funds Management Limited (ABN 28 629 968 163, AFSL 514485) as responsible entity of RAM Australia Retail Property Fund (ARSN 634 136 682) and RAM Australia Medical Property Fund (ARSN 645 964 601), of address Suite 15.01, Level 15, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney, NSW, 2000.


