Cera buys CRG Homecare and Allied Healthcare

Home care provider Cera has acquired domiciliary provider CRG Homecare and Allied Healthcare, for an undisclosed sum.

Allied Healthcare is one of the UK’s larger care providers specialising in home care services. Recruitment firm HCRG (Health Care Resourcing Group) acquired home care business Allied Healthcare in 2018.

Private equity firm Twenty20 Capital (which HCRG is part of) then merged Allied Healthcare with its existing homecare brand (CRG Homecare).

Operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the merger of the two businesses saw care worker hours increase to 80,000 per week. The two acquired businesses combined have a revenue of around £75m.

Ian Munro, group chief executive at HCRG, said: “We are delighted to announce the sale of our homecare group (comprising of CRG Homecare and Allied Healthcare).

"After acquiring Allied Healthcare, we worked closely with the management team and were quickly able to return the business to breakeven trading and successfully raised the CQC rating and drove a plan to merge it with our CRG Homecare business.

"This increased profitability and allowed us to proudly support the UK community by delivering outstanding care services during the toughest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been a real success story in a challenging market.”

Tristan Ramus, chairman at Twenty20 Capital: “Having acquired Allied Healthcare, on the brink of insolvency, the business has been transformed during our period of ownership."

Igal Aciman, chief commercial officer at home care group Cera, told Healthcare Business International: “This deal provides us with an ideal springboard through which to accelerate our growth throughout the UK, as well as to recruit more professional carers and nurses and, most importantly, reach a greater number of older and vulnerable people.”

Cera’s latest acquisitions follows news of its expansion into nursing services.

The home care group, which has over 6,000 staff, is working with the NHS to ensure people get access to nurses via Cera’s telehealth platform. Those using Cera’s nursing services can have their vital signs monitored remotely, allowing nurses to see changes in health conditions quickly.

Cera will employ nurses and offer its home care workers a chance to train and qualify as nurses themselves. The company will work with universities to offer clinical training courses.

The move is part of the company’s aim to get more healthcare out of hospitals and into people’s own homes.

click here for more details or to contact Cera