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Brighton Station Health Centre on track for opening

The health centre is welcoming new patient registrations and provides a comprehensive range of regular health services for registered patients, who can make appointments at times which suit their busy lives. The walk-in service will treat all NHS patients without an appointment for minor injuries and ailments, including patients who live locally, visitors and commuters. Both services are located within the same health centre, which is situated in Aspect House, 84-87 Queens Road, near Brighton Railway Station and will be open every day, including all bank holidays.

Care UK and NHS Brighton and Hove are working in partnership to open and run this new facility which provides local people with greater choice about how they access healthcare.

Care UK now operates 11 GP practices and walk-in centres across the UK on behalf of the NHS, fulfilling people’s lives by providing high quality health care to thousands of people in a way that is easy to access and convenient. In recognition of this, Care UK was recently awarded Primary Care Provider of the Year at the HealthInvestor Awards.

Mark Hunt, Managing Director of Care UK Primary Care said, “Care UK is delighted that this new facility opens this week to patients for the first time, giving access to high quality health care to the people of Brighton. Through our partnership with NHS Brighton and Hove, everyone in the area will benefit from greater choice about how they wish to access healthcare facilities and treatment.

“Care UK has an extremely high standard of care in our GP practices and walk in centres across the country, with 94% of our patients rating our walk-in centres as either good or excellent. We are confident that the care at the new centre in Brighton will be of a similarly high standard.”

Darren Grayson, Chief Executive, Brighton and Hove PCT, said: "The establishment of a centrally located GP surgery with extended opening hours, open every day of the year, gives patients more choice about when they can see a doctor. This is great news for local people."

Patients looking to register at the new practice, or to make an appointment, can contact the centre on 01273 203058 or for more information visit the centre from 1st July or go to:

http://www.brightonstationhealthcentre.co.uk

Garden party at Elizabeth Lodge

On Friday 5 June, we held a garden party to celebrate the opening of our new dementia unit and to celebrate our recent two star rating. The honourable mayor of Enfield and MP David Burrowes kindly attended the celebrations along with residents, relatives, staff and representatives from the local PCT and social services.

Our party had a multicultural theme to acknowledge the cultural diversity among our residents and staff. To be in keeping staff dressed up in their national costumes and brought a national dish for everyone to enjoy.

Elizabeth Lodge, located in beautiful grounds, just two miles from Enfield town centre, provides nursing care for older people.

Care UK’s unique approach, Activity Based Care, is designed to ensure residents can stay as fulfilled and independent as possible after moving into a Care UK home. Each resident is supported to succeed with extra help during a huge range of daily tasks, often reflecting their own life history or work experiences, from maintaining a garden to helping with jobs they would normally do in their own home.

Violet Kotu, the Home Manager of Elizabeth Lodge said:

“The whole team at Elizabeth Lodge created a wonderful day for residents, relatives and guests alike.”

Patients give top marks to local treatment centre

Key findings include:

95% of patients rated their care as excellent, very good or good
89% of patients said they were always treated with respect and dignity
91% of patients rated their ward as very clean

Comments from patients included: “I was very impressed with every aspect of the service. I have written to my surgeon, his nurses and staff, to express my thanks”; “I have never had such a good stay in hospital as I did here, everyone was caring and kind in every way”; “The care was outstanding. Everything was spotless.”

Paula Friend, General Manager of Southampton NHS Treatment Centre, said: “We are delighted that patients rate the Southampton NHS Treatment Centre so highly. It is providing a quality service to local people and I praise the staff for the job they are doing. This is the first patient survey results for the Centre so we will be looking to improve the service even further in the coming months.”

Grant Rex, Managing Director of Care UK Secondary Care Services, said: “Care UK Treatment Centres are safe, well liked by patients and highly performing. We have never had a single case of hospital acquired MRSA. Independent Sector Treatment Centres are helping the NHS to continue to improve and remain a vital member of the NHS family.”

Southampton NHS Treatment Centre is a brand new, state of the art facility and provides high quality specialist treatments in 9 specialties for the people of Hampshire, including Southampton and surrounding areas. The Treatment Centre only treats NHS patients.

Care UK responds to NHS Confederation report on future NHS budget shortfall by calling for greater competition and choice

"The financial pressures will be very challenging for the NHS in the coming years but I believe that they are focussing on this in exactly the right way. There is a huge opportunity for the development of better quality solutions to provide much better patient experience at significantly lower cost.

The introduction of competition and choice has already greatly benefited the NHS and patients by driving efficiencies and cutting waiting times. To ensure there is no need to cut services in the coming years the NHS should be looking to further liberate the undoubted talents within the NHS and the independent health sector by increasing competition and choice to drive innovation and fundamental reform. This will enable the NHS to deliver more with less and will safeguard the founding principle of care free at the point of delivery."

New GP Surgery and Walk-in Service in Rotherham Open

Both services are situated at the Rotherham Community Health Centre, so patients can choose to register at Chantry Bridge Medical Practice or can attend the Rotherham NHS Walk-in Centre whether they are registered with a GP or not, as they do not need an appointment to get treatment at the Walk-in service. Care UK is extremely pleased that this new facilities have opened, as they provide local people with greater choice about how they access healthcare, in a way that is convenient to their lives.

Care UK now operates 10 GP surgeries and Walk-in centres across the UK, fulfilling people’s lives by providing high quality health care to thousands of people in a way that is easy to access and convenient.

Both services offer easy access with some free onsite parking and extended opening hours. Patients will be seen at the Rotherham NHS Walk-in Centre from 8am-9pm every day except Christmas Day, while Chantry Bridge Medical Practice will also be open from 8am-8pm Monday to Saturday.

Mark Hunt, Managing Director of Care UK Primary Care said:

“Care UK is delighted that these new facilities have opened, giving access to high quality health care to the people of Rotherham. Through our partnership with NHS Rotherham, the facilities will provide medical services to anyone, from 8am to 9pm seven days a week, meaning that everyone in the area will benefit from these new services, and will have greater choice about how they wish to access healthcare facilities and treatment. These services are in addition to the diagnostic services that we already offer in the Rotherham Community Health Centre.

“The facilities are now open, so I would encourage anyone who is in need of healthcare to drop in, whether they are registered with a GP or not, as the walk-in service is available to everyone on a first come first served basis.

“Care UK has an extremely high standard of care in our GP practices and Walk-in centres across the country, with 94% of our patients rating our Walk-in centres as either good or excellent. We are confident that the care at the new service in Rotherham is of a similarly high standard. Care UK look forward to continuing to work in partnership with NHS Rotherham bringing easy to access, high quality health care to local people.”

Patients looking to register with the new GP practice, or to make an appointment, can contact Chantry Bridge Medical Practice on 0333 200 4054 or find more information at www.chantrybridgemedicalpractice.co.uk

2009 Interim Results now available online and as a PDF

If you would like to view our 2009 Interim Results, please choose to view our micro site online, or download it as a PDF.

Care UK publish Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan

The Care UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan is now available and can be accessed from the CareUK.com information centre.

First Patient Treated at New Cataracts Service at Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre

The service means that patients - who are almost always older people - will, for the first time, have the option to be treated in Medway if they wish.

Eric Baker, 73, was one of the first patients to experience the new facilities on 22nd April. He said, “The staff at the Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre deserve a gold medal; from the moment I arrived at reception any apprehension that I had about the surgery just disappeared, and this was all down to the exemplary care I received.”

Grant Rex, Managing Director of Care UK Secondary Care Services said: “We are delighted that this service has now begun treating patients and that Mr Baker had such a positive experience at the centre. Care UK is proud of the track record we have achieved with the Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre since we opened in 2005, with 98% of our patients rating their care as good or excellent, and we look forward to providing similarly high levels of care for cataracts patients at the Centre.”

NHS Medway Chief Executive Marion Dinwoodie said: "We are very pleased that the first patients are now being treated by this new service, which will enable people to be treated for their cataracts closer to home. This service is part of our drive to improve health and healthcare for people in Medway, and ensure that people get high quality, convenient care that meets their needs."

The Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre only treats NHS patients. As well as the new cataract service, the centre also includes consulting rooms, operating theatres, and a day case unit. The cataract unit is being funded as part of the centre’s overall contract with NHS Medway

Celebrity gardener Charlie Dimmock Opens Wexham Care Home

Also present at the opening were Wexham Secondary School and Baylis Court School, giving dance drama and gym performances, Wexham Primary School choir and hand-bell group and local charities and community groups.

Oak House, a joint venture between Slough Borough Council and Care UK, is a newly built, contemporary care home located in the rural community of Wexham, providing residential and nursing care. The light and airy en-suite rooms are arranged in smaller suites grouped around communal lounges and dining rooms, giving a homely feel.

Residents will also be able to enjoy Oak House’s landscaped gardens, which have been specially designed to attract local wildlife, featuring hedgehog cabins, bird boxes and a 'bog garden', as well as small allotment areas so keen residents can continue to take pleasure in gardening. A wide range of other facilities are available on site, including a hairdressing room, a library, and a café.

Care UK’s unique approach, Activity Based Care, enables residents to lead fulfilling lives and is designed to ensure residents can stay as independent as possible after moving into a Care UK home. Each resident is supported to succeed with extra help during a huge range of daily tasks, often reflecting their own life history or work experiences, from maintaining a garden to helping with jobs they would normally do in their own home.

Charlie Dimmock said: “I’m really pleased Care UK invited me to Oak House’s open day, I hope all the residents, staff and local wildlife enjoy the beautiful gardens. Allotments are in high demand all over the UK so it’s great that residents will be able to jump the queue and get gardening right here in the new home”

Wendy Marsh, the Manager of Oak House, said: “The fantastic turnout at the open day just goes to show that Oak House is already a real part of the community. I know the whole team here will continue to build relationships with the community and work hard using Activity Based Care to promote an active and independent life for all our residents.”

Slough Borough Council’s Commissioner for health and wellbeing, Cllr Chrissy Small, said: “I am so over the moon that Slough has this wonderful new housing for older people of the town. For many years, retirement homes were often places many people dreaded, but Oak House is so beautiful and feels like a real community. The facilities are second to none and I’m very proud to be part of the official opening.”

Tony Hosking, Managing Director of Residential Care Services at Care UK said: “All the staff at Oak House are dedicated to enabling residents to lead fulfilling lives. We look forward to building a thriving community where residents can stay active and make their own decisions about what they do and how they spend their time. We are delighted that Charlie Dimmock and Fiona Mactaggart have joined us for the official opening of Oak House. This is a state of the art home, with magnificent residential facilities and gardens for residents, their families and our staff to enjoy.”

Manchester CATS Celebrates 1000 Patients in Just One Month

1000th patient Sharon Burke from Ashton visited the CATS site at Denton recently for her appointment and helped Care UK staff to celebrate this great achievement. Sharon, who has been to the mobile clinical unit a couple of times in the last few weeks for treatment on her shoulder was delighted with the service. She said: “My GP recommended I came here and I’m delighted he did. I get seen really quickly at the mobile clinical unit and it’s very convenient for where I live. The staff are very professional and the whole experience is enjoyable and hassle-free, I really do recommend it to other people.”

As part of the service, patients have a choice of six (soon to be seven) locations where they can access a wide range of healthcare services and treatments, including general surgery, treatment for ear nose and throat problems, minor orthopaedic services, urology, diagnostic tests, such as X-ray, CT and MRI scanning facilities, as well as some physiotherapy and other therapy treatments. The new service is being operated by Care UK, an independent sector treatment provider that has been contracted by the local NHS for a seven year period, to help bring down waiting times for NHS treatment even further. The service involves state-of-the-art mobile clinical units that feature the very latest equipment and employs a large team of the highest quality nursing staff and consultants.

As Mark Hunt, Managing Director – Primary Care Division at Care UK, explains: “We are delighted with the early response to our new mobile clinical units. GPs and practice staff in the local areas are recognizing the benefits they bring to their patients, such as quicker access and convenient locations based in the community, as well as the added benefit of longer opening times. The high number of referrals and the very positive results shown by our recent patient satisfaction surveys means we are very optimistic about what this means for local people.”

Mobile clinical units now operate in the following areas, Salford, Stretford, Bolton, Denton, Longsight and Rochdale, with a seventh site planned to open in April in Oldham. All of these treatment centres will offer longer opening hours - from 7.45am to 8pm on weekdays and Saturday. Once an appointment has been booked by the GP’s practice, patients will be seen by a Consultant, normally within a 14 day period.

Dr Hunt continues: “The whole service is designed around how we can better serve patients by creating a healthcare environment which gives them quick and convenient access to treatment in comfortable surroundings that enhance their overall experience.”

For more information visit the website www.greater-manchester-cats.com or telephone 0333 200 4042.

Boy, 6, saves carer mum's life

Six-year-old Thomas Glover of St Helens, Merseyside, had to think fast after his mother had suffered a hypoglycaemic attack and needed urgent medical care.

A service user alerted staff at St Helens Community Care branch that her carer, Lucy Glover was late for a scheduled visit.

Carol Foy, Business Manager for St Helens said: “We immediately rang Lucy to see what the problem was, and when she answered she sounded very disorientated.”

Thomas picked up the telephone and said that his mummy was not well and was falling asleep.

Staff at the branch quickly called an ambulance, sent another staff member to Lucy’s house, and sent a carer to cover the calls that Lucy had missed.

Lucy suffers from Diabetes and was having a hypoglycaemic attack. She said: “I was going hypo and I felt really disorientated and confused. I had told Thomas before about what happens when I go hypo and he helped me to get down the stairs. But then I just collapsed.”

The youngster managed to take a blood sugar reading, give his mother the medicine she needed and stayed on the phone to Care UK staff until paramedics arrived.

Michelle Clay, Co-ordinator at St Helens was on the phone to Thomas throughout the whole ordeal.

She said: “Thomas gave us updates on his mums’ condition. He went and got her medication and managed to get a blood reading to pass on to the ambulance service. Thomas said his mum needed her Glucogel and went to try and find it.”

“After searching he found it in the bathroom cabinet. He managed to give it to his mum by forcing her mouth open.”

WHAT A STAR!

Thomas remained calm until the ambulance had arrived. Michelle Clay said: “I explained that the ambulance men would knock hard on the door and then he could open it.”

Lucy added: “It was just unbelievable what he did, the blood sugar machine is hard to use and he managed really well.”

Lucy was taken to hospital and has now fully recovered and back at work.

Thomas was presented with a gift and an overnight stay at Alton Towers Hotel and Theme Park for him and his family to award him for being so brave.

The entire branch were presented with flowers as they all played a huge part in ensuring Lucy was safe and the rest of the service users received their calls on time.

Amongst the Care UK staff that helped on the day was Roz Smart, Lisa Ormrod, Michelle Clay and Carol Foy.

BBC Panorama Broadcast – Statement from Care UK

BBC Panorama Broadcast – Statement from Care UK

“Care UK takes its responsibilities as a care provider extremely seriously and we seek at all times to deliver the highest quality of care. We feel a real sense of duty to the people who depend on us. For these reasons we are sorry that our performance fell below our usual high standards in some cases and we have apologized publicly and privately where appropriate.”

“However, these are isolated examples and not representative of the care that we provide. Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated and hard working staff, of whom we are enormously proud, 93% of Care UK’s domiciliary care services are rated as excellent or good by the independent regulator, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, and none are rated poor. In residential care we are the highest rated private sector service provider.”

“Despite these wider achievements, we are far from complacent and we have made immediate changes and improvements. This has included a comprehensive review of all care plans, the implementation of new processes backed by new software to improve the timeliness of visits and further training for our staff.”

Any service users or their relatives who are in any way concerned are requested to contact their usual “out of hours” telephone number for their branch.

If you do not know which branch you need to speak to, please call the Care UK helpline number on: 0845 634 0165 and we will put you in touch with the right person.

Gynaecology event a success!

From left to right: Charlotte Barbara, Healthcare Assistant, Toni Riddell, Liason Officer, Leah Hanley, Healthcare Assistant

From left to right: Toni Riddell, Liason Officer, Leah Hanley, Healthcare Assistant

The event, which took place on Saturday 14th March, attracted a large number of women from the local community. There were different activities to take part in from wall climbing, trampolining, pilates, table tennis, badminton, and even a bouncy castle to keep children occupied.

Staff from the Southampton NHS Treatment Centre, run by Care UK were there to discuss the gynaecological services available at the centre. In addition to this there were presentation stands with information ranging from victim abuse, drug abuse, massage and energy saving.

The main purpose of the event was to bring local women from the area together and supply them with information about a range of health issues, encourage women to get more physically active and to highlight the services that the gynaecology department provide.

Lepsa Stojkovic, Event Organiser from Southampton City Council said: “This is the third year running that the Women’s Forum has organised the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Day. We are extremely happy by the number of women and young girls that came to this event, and very glad that they enjoyed the day. We are hoping for an even bigger and better event next year.”

Charlotte Barbara, Health Care Assistant said: “All in all it was a very productive and enjoyable day. It helped to raise awareness for the centre and for women’s health in the area.”

The Southampton NHS Treatment Centre is a brand new, state of the art facility and provides high quality specialist treatments in 9 areas for the people of Hampshire.

In addition to gynaecology services the centre provides a wide range of outpatient, day and inpatient surgical operations, diagnostic procedures and follow-up care in the following specialties: ear, nose and throat; endoscopy, general surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, oral surgery, orthopaedics, pain management, urology, varicose veins.

The Gynaecology Department provides a female consultant with UK training and experience, supported by nursing staff. Services included a one stop menstrual disorder clinic, benign gynaecology and routine gynaecology.

For more information on the Southampton NHS Treatment Centre please call 0845 194 94747 local rates or visit www.southamptontreatmentcentre.nhs.uk.

Manor Lodge open day

The open day received enthusiastic support from the local community, with other VIPs present including the Mayor Cllr Tom Willis, the Mayoress Jane Willis, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend John Gladwin and his wife Lydia. Pupils from two local schools, Boswell School and Oaklands Primary School gave performances of singing and dancing.

Manor Lodge is a newly built, contemporary care home located in a quiet, residential area of Chelmsford, providing residential and nursing care. The light and airy en-suite rooms are arranged in small groups of 15 or 20 bedrooms, each suite with its own dining and relaxation areas, giving the accommodation a homely feel.

As Manor Lodge is at the heart of the community, local amenities are within easy reach, but Manor Lodge also offers a wide range of activities and facilities on site, with a cinema, café, hairdressing and therapy room.

During the open day, Charlie Dimmock viewed Manor Lodge’s landscaped gardens and raised flowerbeds which will allow keen gardeners to continue pursuing their hobby.

Charlie Dimmock said:

“I’m really pleased Care UK invited me to open this new care home, gardening can help keep you healthy and active so it’s great that residents at Manor Lodge will be able to stay green-fingered.”

Tony Hosking, Managing Director of Residential Care Services at Care UK said: “We are delighted that Charlie Dimmock and other guests have joined us to open Care UK’s new care home, Manor Lodge. This is a state of the art home, with magnificent residential facilities and gardens for residents, their families and our staff to enjoy. We are pleased that the opening has been a real community event, with local schools performing and fun activities for all the family. We look forward to welcoming residents to the new home and to building a thriving community where residents can stay active and make their own decisions about what they do and how they spend their time.”

Pauline Goh, the Home Manager of Manor Lodge said:
“The whole team at Manor Lodge is dedicated to enhancing the lives of all our residents. Care UK’s Activity Based Care approach promotes an active and varied life, involving both family and the community to help residents stay as independent as possible.”

New Cataract Service to launch at Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre

Grant Rex, Managing Director of Care UK Secondary Care Services said: “The opening of this new cataract unit will make a huge difference to patients in the Medway area. Care UK is proud of the track record we have achieved with the Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre since we opened in 2005, with 98% of our patients rating their care as good or excellent, and we look forward to providing similarly high levels of care for cataracts patients at the Centre.”

The Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre only treats NHS patients, and has invested in highly trained clinical staff and the latest equipment to ensure that treatment is of the highest standard. As well as the new cataracts service, the centre also includes consulting rooms, operating theatres, and a day case unit.

Councillors give go-ahead to new nursing home in Portsmouth

The new state-of-the-art nursing home will provide Portsmouth with its eagerly anticipated promised replacement for Harry Sotnick House and the new home will keep the Harry Sotnick name.

The new home, in Cranleigh Avenue, Buckland, will have 92 beds and will provide specialised nursing care for older people with dementia. The city council has been working closely with Care UK, its preferred bidder for the contract to build and manage the home. Care UK are one of the country’s leading providers of health and social care and work across the UK, operating over 50 nursing homes and providing over 120.000 hours of care and support to people in their own homes every week.

The facilities at the new state of the art home will include: landscaped gardens, a sensory garden, secure courtyards for residents to enjoy the outdoors safely, a hairdressing salon, a rehab room/gym, and even an internet café for “silver surfers”.

The new building is being funded by Portsmouth City Council, and Care UK will have a 25 year contract to provide the care services in the home.

Care UK already operate over 57 nursing and residential homes, providing care to more than 3,100 older people across the UK. Care UK’s core philosophy of care is centred on helping our residents stay active and make their own decisions about what they do and how they spend their time.

Richard Pearman, Business Development Director at Care UK Residential Care Services said:
“We are delighted to be working with Portsmouth City Council to provide new, high quality care services which will meet the individual needs of vulnerable older people in the City. These are badly needed services and will be provided in excellent new facilities which have been designed to support the delivery of care and the experience of the service users”.

Interim Management Statement February 2009

The Interim Management Statement for February 2009 can be found here.

Patients Reap the Benefits of New Mobile Clinical Units

Patients are already benefiting from quicker, more convenient access to treatment and longer opening hours - from 7.45am to 8pm - on weekdays and Saturdays. The service is being operated by Care UK, an independent sector provider, in partnership with the NHS. Care UK has invested in state of the art mobile clinical units that will operate at six locations across Greater Manchester – including Salford, Stretford, Bolton, Denton, Longsight and Rochdale, with a seventh due to open in April at Oldham.

Patients can either be referred through their GP and, in all cases, they will be seen by a Consultant, normally within a 14 day period at the CATS mobile clinical unit. Greater Manchester CATS will also offer CT and MRI scanning facilities.

Trevor Purt, Chief Executive of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT, said: “We believe this new service will play a major role in helping to cut waiting lists and waiting times for treatment. Anyone needing NHS treatment has the right to access the very best levels of care as quickly as possible. By introducing the service across several areas of Manchester, we hope to tackle some of the health inequalities people in Greater Manchester face.”

Greater Manchester CATS is already being welcomed by GPs, patient groups and patients themselves in each of the locations where it will operate.

As Dr Mark Hunt, Managing Director – Primary Care Division at Care UK, explains : “It is satisfying to hear that patients are already reaping the benefits of the new service. The feedback we have received so far has been very positive and we are looking forward to welcoming hundreds of patients over the coming weeks. We have some of the best Consultants in the area contracted to the service and have invested in the latest equipment to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of service they expect and deserve.”

Dr Hunt continues: “The whole service is designed around how we can better serve patients by creating a healthcare environment which gives them quick and convenient access to treatment in comfortable surroundings that enhance their overall experience.”

Patients can make an appointment to be seen in one of the Mobile Clinical Units by being referred by their GP. For more information visit the website
www.greater-manchester-cats.com or telephone 0333 200 4042.

Health Minister visits top NHS Treatment Centre run by Care UK

The Minister met patients and staff before touring the state of the art facilities to see the high quality care provided at the Centre.

Following his visit, Mr. Bradshaw commented:

“I am delighted to see first-hand the great care and facilities provided at the Peninsula Treatment Centre. Through the Independent Sector Treatment Centre programme, this Government has provided an additional 1.44 million NHS treatments, enabling patients to benefit from reduced waiting times, greater choice and high quality care.“

The Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre is commissioned by NHS Plymouth on behalf of the people of Devon and Cornwall. The Treatment Centre opened its doors for NHS orthopaedic surgery and treatments in May 2005. Between that date and May 2008 the Centre was the most productive ISTC in the UK achieving over 100% of target utilisation.

The Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre continues to achieve high levels of patient satisfaction. A recent patient survey showed that 98% of patients rated the overall standard of care at the Centre as either excellent or very good, and 99 per cent said that they would recommend the treatment centre to family and friends. The Peninsula NHS treatment Centre has an excellent record on patient safety and since its opening has had no cases of hospital acquired MRSA or C-difficile.

Grant Rex, Manager Director of Care UK Secondary Care Services said: “Care UK are delighted that the Minister came to visit the Peninsula Treatment Centre and met the staff whose hard work means the Centre performs so well and is rated so highly by patients. We were very pleased to have the opportunity to show the Minister first hand our state of the art facilities. With 99% of patients saying they would recommend this centre to family and friends, we are confident that Care UK, in partnership with the local NHS, is delivering consistently high quality care to patients.”

Patricia Warwick, general manager at the Care UK Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre, said: “We were delighted that the Minister visited our hospital, his support is very important to us as we bring the best quality orthopaedic care to NHS patients throughout Devon and Cornwall. My thanks go to our staff and partners in the NHS who have helped us to achieve such a high level of efficiency while maintaining such high standards. Our aim now is to continue this achievement and expand on our delivery of service with plans to open a third operating theatre in the near future.”

More information on the Centre is available on the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre website.

Mark Hunt: Independent Sector improves quality of care and patient access

“The involvement of the independent sector in providing services such as GP surgeries and walk-in centres has vastly improved the quality of care patients receive and gives them far greater access health care whenever they need it, through expanding capacity and pioneering innovative techniques. The Scottish Government’s plan to ban the independent sector from running GP practices means, quite simply, that patients will lose out. GP surgeries and walk in centres run by the independent sector are often found in some of the most deprived areas of the country, and this policy would mean that those people who often have the most acute health care needs will struggle to access medical care. Care UK is proud of the extremely high standard of care we provide in our GP practices and walk in centres, with 94% of our patients rating our walk-in centres as either good or excellent. We would be extremely disappointed if patients in Scotland were prevented from accessing such high quality, convenient health care simply because of a prejudice against the independent sector.”

Care UK offers career opportunities to hundreds of former Woolworths Staff

Local community care branch managers at Care UK are contacting the managers of their local Woolworths branch to ensure that all employees that are losing their jobs are aware of the career opportunities that exist with Care UK. To meet the growing demands on the services which Care UK operate from more than 50 locations across the country, Care UK is always seeking to attract new staff into what is a hugely rewarding career.

Tony Vockins, Managing Director of Care UK Homecare, said:
“This is a great opportunity for former employees of Woolworths who may not have considered working in the social care sector, to look into a career with Care UK. Potential employees can be confident that we will give them the training that they need to provide a high standard of care to the people who they will look after.

“Care UK believes that a well trained and motivated workforce is essential to the successful delivery of high quality services. Care UK provides comprehensive training to all its staff. We signed the Skills Pledge in June 2008 which publicly demonstrates our commitment to support all our employees to develop their skills and by 2009, over a thousand existing care staff will have gained a level 2 NVQ qualification through us.

Virginia Brown, a Care UK carer, said:
“I have my set service users who I visit every week and have very good relationships with. It is good to come for training knowing that your care visits will be covered by a colleague. I enjoy working for Care UK and am happy to be part of the team.”

Care UK is offering the chance a fulfilling, challenging career to hundreds of former Woolworths employees, at a time when many will be wondering where to turn.

Care UK to open new GP Practice in Southend

Responding to the announcement by NHS South East Essex on the selection of Care UK to provide a new GP practice in the St Luke’s area of Southend, Mark Hunt, Managing Director of Care UK Primary Care said:

“Care UK is delighted to have been selected to provide this GP practice, giving access to high quality health care to the people of Southend. The practice will provide medical services to anyone, from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, meaning that everyone in the area will benefit from this new surgery. Care UK is proud of the extremely high standard of care we provide in our GP practices and walk in centres, with 94% of our patients rating our walk-in centres as either good or excellent.

Care UK already runs an out of hours GP service in South East Essex where patients enjoy convenient access to quality healthcare. Care UK fully expects the care at the new centre in Southend to be of a similarly high standard, and we are looking forward to continuing to work in partnership with NHS South East Essex to bring high quality health care to the people of Southend.”

Finalists at the National Care Awards

Two local carers have reached the final of the National Care Awards 2008. Care UK staff Heather Joseph and Reginald Nnachetam are each down to the final four in their categories, having been nominated by the Elmstead House Home Manager, Diane Maddaford, and the home’s Administrator, Raden Mauremootoo.

Heather is a finalist for the Care Innovator award, which celebrates “a forward-thinking individual in a care home.” Reginald is a finalist for the Care Newcomer award, which is for “an exceptional new member of staff”.

Elmstead House is a modern, purpose-built nursing home in Hendon, London, providing nursing care for older people with dementia. The homely environment has been carefully designed to offer both comfort and security to residents and their families.

Heather, a Wembley resident has worked at Elmstead House as an administrator since it opened 11 years ago, and in that time has made the Admin Office the hub of the home, developing new ideas and projects for the benefit of both residents and staff. Such ideas include the creation of a cinema room, the installation of a flat screen TV in the reception area to provide information for residents and relatives, and the development of a games room for residents, relatives and staff.

Heather said: “I am overwhelmed to be shortlisted and feel proud that the care I provide to residents has been recognised by the judges. If I do win, it will be one of the proudest moments of my life and it will show other administrators that they can be innovative and creative in their job, and every job in the care home is important, not just those providing personal care.”

Reginald, from Cricklewood, joined Elmstead House over Christmas 2007, and the residents have greatly enjoyed his patience and care over the course of the year. He always goes the extra mile with the residents, whether it is taking them for walks outside, playing games at birthday parties or escorting residents to the local shops.

“I feel overjoyed to have reached the final. It gives me so much job satisfaction and encouragement to do even more. If I do win, it will be a very proud moment not just for me but for Care UK as a company, and I will feel confident about my future in mental health nursing with Care UK.”

The National Care Awards Gala Night, when the winners will be announced, will take place on Saturday 29th November, at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel and will be hosted by Tony Robinson.

Ellesmere's royal opening

An innovative new care home, run by Care UK, has been officially opened by HRH The Countess of Wessex in Chelsea. Ellesmere House works in partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to provide residential care for older people, and offers a unique approach to care, which enables residents to stay as active and independent as possible.

The innovative approach taken by staff at Ellesmere House is called Activity Based Care (ABC) and is simply a move away from residential care as 'doing for' towards a more creative, adaptable and beneficial 'doing with' approach. Each resident is supported to succeed with extra help during a huge range of daily tasks, often reflecting their own life history or work experiences, from maintaining a flower garden to helping with jobs they would normally do in their own home.

Ellesmere House is a beautiful environment, with a lot of bright open spaces, and the state of the art building includes courtyards and contemplation gardens, with opportunities for residents to enjoy their own space, as well as lounges and recreational areas for group activities.

The team at Ellesmere House includes hostesses, who provide a concierge service including organising hair appointments or trips to the theatre, but will also help residents with organising birthday or Christmas presents for friends and relatives, and will simply spend time with the residents, chatting, playing board games, reading or flower arranging and many other activities

Ellesmere House was recently awarded a two star rating from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the highest rating a new home can receive on its first inspection, when it received an unannounced inspection earlier this year. Inspectors spoke to residents who commented that the home was “like a 5 star hotel with care thrown in”.

Tony Hosking, Managing Director of Residential Care Services at Care UK said:
"Care UK are extremely proud that our care home, Ellesmere House, is being officially opened by HRH the Countess of Wessex, and we have enjoyed showing her round the exciting new facilities which our residents enjoy. Care UK’s Activity Based Care approach means that residents stay independent and active for longer, enabling them to lead fulfilling lives."

Therese Laurent, home manager at Ellesmere House, said:
"I am delighted that the Countess of Wessex took the time to visit Ellesmere House to talk to residents and staff and to officially open the home. Our staff works hard to ensure that residents receive the individual care and attention they need, and it is very exciting to have a VIP to officially open the home."

Cllr Fiona Buxton, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said:
"We are thrilled with the outcome of the council’s partnership with Care UK and that Ellesmere House has been so successful in the few months that it has been operating. We look forward to the good work of the staff there continuing, to provide the highest standards of care to residents."

Preliminary Results for the year ended 30 September 2008

Amounts in £m unless stated	30 Sept 2008	30 Sept 2007
Revenue: group and share of joint venture	341.6	275.7
Operating profit	12.8	23.0
Adjusted operating profit *	36.4	30.4
Profit before group taxation	1.6	14.5
Profit before group taxation, integration & restructuring costs, amortisation and impairment charges	22.5	19.1
Basic (LPS)/EPS	(4.98p)	20.27p
Adjusted basic EPS *	27.92p	26.26p
Total dividend, paid and proposed	4.43p	4.02p
Operating cash flow	46.9	32.5
Total net debt	180.2	170.3

* Including joint venture operating profit; before amortisation of intangible assets and impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and, for 2007 only, integration and restructuring costs

A year of strong organic and acquisitive growth for Care UK, most notably from the Health Care division.

Total borrowing facilities available of £273.7m, with total funding headroom of over £80m including over £54m under the main syndicated facility, which is committed until early 2015; the group remains comfortably within key covenants with no need to raise additional finance to fund development plans.

Social Care:

Aggregate revenue increased by 10% and adjusted operating profit by 4%, with solid performances in Residential Care and much of Specialist Care
Business growth in the year includes:
- Preferred bidder appointment for new care home of c100 beds (around two-thirds to be contracted for 25 years); limited Care UK capital required
- Approved development of a new 74-bed greenfield care home in Crowborough, East Sussex
- New and renewed home care contracts awarded in Community Care, amounting to net growth of c5,000 additional hours per week
- Acquisition of new homecare branches in South Gloucestershire and the West Midlands added 3,500 hours per week in total
- Several new and extended learning disabilities contracts in both England and Scotland

Health Care:

Excellent growth in revenue, up 73%, and adjusted operating profit, up 112%, driven by full year contribution from the 2007 acquisition of Mercury Health, full ownership of PHG and growth in the Primary Care business
Care UK’s Health Care business now widely recognised as sector’s largest and most influential independent sector provider of healthcare services to NHS patients
Strategic acquisition of 50% of Partnership Health Group not previously owned completed on 1 August 2008
Targeted bidding activity under the ‘Equitable Access’ initiative. Two new small primary contracts recently awarded for commencement in spring 2009
Phase 2 ISTC in Southampton reached financial close in June 2008, services commenced in late October 2008
Good progress made on the mobilisation of the Greater Manchester CATS service, which reached financial close in June 2008

John Nash, Chairman of Care UK, commented:

“Care UK’s strong performance during 2008 demonstrates the resilience of the group and the benefits of investment in the emerging healthcare market.

“Both the current Government and the Conservative party have reaffirmed their strategies for the evolution of a competitive market for NHS services and we anticipate further growth in both our Health Care and Social Care businesses as a consequence. We are currently bidding for selective opportunities in the NHS’ ‘Equitable Access’ procurement for primary care services and we anticipate a further substantial range of opportunities to flow from the NHS strategy to separate and introduce competition for PCT Provider Arms that represent expenditure of around £10bn per annum.

“Having successfully created competencies strongly aligned with the integration of secondary and primary healthcare and with social care services, Care UK is strongly positioned to benefit from further service and market reform offering good opportunities for delivering exceptional long-term value to shareholders”.

View the full announcement

View the investor presentation

St Mary’s NHS Treatment Centre welcomes John Utaka

Thanks to the scheme, the waiting areas and clinical rooms are much more inviting. They have been decorated with bespoke art work using under the sea, dance and football themes. Young people commissioned the artist, helped develop the designs and got out their paint brushes.

The project started last summer when Portsmouth City teaching PCT lead nurse for adolescents, Jo Lawson visited the treatment centre. She suggested 'Your Welcome' a Department of Health initiative that helps all health services to become 'young people friendly'.

Staff at the centre were keen to be involved. They assessed the children’s and adolescent areas as being too clinical. Jo put them in touch with Changes, an organisation which runs projects for young people in care in Portsmouth, and young people’s volunteering charity Motiv8, who agreed to get involved.

“Changes and Motiv8 young people decided that redecorating the areas would help it appeal more to young people and they took the rest of the project on. They bid for funds from young money, a Portsmouth City Council fund that is awarded by a panel of young people to bids by other young people,” explains Jo.

With the £2,700 they received they choose a local artist Mark Lewis, who is based at the Lodge Arts Centre in Victoria Park

“The girls and boys each had a wall to decorate in the adolescent treatment room. The girls choose a dance theme and helped Mark put together a design that used silhouettes of different dances. The boys wanted a football theme, and came up with a design that incorporated Pompey and a stadium imagery. That makes John the ideal person to help them celebrate their achievement and the improvement to the treatment centre environment that every young person using these services will benefit from for years to come. “

“Care UK would like to thank John for opening the children’s area. We want to make all children and young people feel welcome at the Centre. By brightening up the area the young people have made waiting less boring and less intimidating than sitting in a clinical environment.” said Dr Sushil Jathanna, Managing Director of Secondary Care at Care UK.

Treatment Centre at top of league table

The Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre is commissioned by NHS Plymouth on behalf of people of Devon, Torbay, Plymouth and Cornwall. The Treatment Centre opened its doors for NHS orthopaedic surgery and treatments in May 2005. Between that date and May 2008 it has achieved in excess of 100% of its target utilisation, making it one of the most productive ISTCs in the UK.

The news comes on top of an excellent patient satisfaction survey which showed 98% of patients rating the overall standard of care at the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre either excellent or very good, and 99 per cent saying that they would recommend the treatment centre to family and friends.

As well as achieving procedure numbers and patient satisfaction, the treatment centre has low infection rates. Independently recorded surgical site surveillance data since January 2006 shows the early infection rate for 936 hip replacements was 0.1 per cent (the NHS average was 1.2 per cent) and for 1159 knee replacements was 0.0 per cent (the NHS average was 0.7 per cent). [Source: Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust surveillance reports]

The treatment centre is part of a programme introduced by the Government to reduce waiting times and increase choice for NHS patients. It is run by the independent sector but funded by the NHS and services are free at the point of delivery to NHS patients. The Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre performs a wide range of orthopaedic procedures including hip and knee replacements, knee ligament reconstruction, complex foot surgery, shoulder/knee arthroscopic surgery and hand operations. About 3000 operations are carried each year in two modern laminar flow (clean air) operating theatres.

Patricia Warwick, general manager at the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre, commented: “We are delighted to be delivering excellent care, performance and value to communities throughout Devon and Cornwall. My congratulations go to our staff – clinical and non-clinical – who have been able to maintain the highest standards of patient care and hygiene while still meeting (and beating) our performance targets.”

Fiona Phelps, Assistant Director of Commissioning NHS Plymouth said: “This has been a real partnership effort to reduce waiting times and improve choice for local people. We worked hard with our partner Primary Care Trusts to understand and identify what service our patients would need and the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre has provided us with an extremely high quality reliable service which our patients have valued. I’m delighted that this has been recognised nationally.”

More information is available by calling the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre on 01752 506070 or by logging on at www.peninsulatreatmentcentre.nhs.uk.

Care UK acquires PHG

The acquisition gives Care UK full ownership of PHG.

PHG was formed in 2003 and has been very successful in operating Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) for the NHS and has a strong track record of clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

PHG was formed as a joint venture to bid for the construction and operation of ISTCs, which were introduced by the Department of Health as part of a number of health reform initiatives.

PHG's operations currently include four ISTCs for NHS patients which are located in Plymouth, Barlborough (near Chesterfield), Maidstone and Ilford (North East London).

These centres provide a range of diagnostic, investigation and routine orthopaedic and general surgical procedures. They are all operated under five year contracts.

The company has also recently signed a contract for the provision of a fifth ISTC to be located at the Royal South Hants Hospital in Southampton. Services under this contract are expected to commence in autumn 2008.

Mike Parish, Care UK Group Chief Executive, said today: "We are delighted to welcome PHG staff fully into the Care UK Group. Both Care UK and Life Healthcare believe that PHG has been a great success both in terms of achieving outstanding clinical care and exceptionally high levels of patient satisfaction. In order to focus on securing a long term future for PHG, both Life Healthcare and Care UK believe that this is the right time to simplify its ownership structure so that we can plan for and invest in continuity beyond the lifetime of the initial contract periods."

"Care UK's strategy continues to be to address both the Health and Social Care markets and respond to the NHS and Local Authorities' plans to further utilise the independent sector to deliver services, to shift care from hospital environments to the community and to give patients choice and control."

General Meeting Results

The results of the General Meeting can be found here.

Acquisition, Proposed Placing of Shares & Proposed Amendment to the Articles of Association

Proposed Placing of 4,666,666 New Ordinary Shares at a price of 345 pence per share

Proposed Amendment to the Articles of Association of Care UK

The Board of Care UK, the leading health and social care provider, today announces that the Company has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the 50 per cent. interest in PHG not already owned by the company from its joint venture partner, Life, for an initial consideration of approximately £14.1 million, to be satisfied through a Vendor Placing on behalf of Life on Completion.

In addition to the Vendor Placing, Care UK intends to raise a further £2.0 million through a Cash Placing to institutional and other investors. The net proceeds from the issue of the Cash Placing Shares will be used for general corporate purposes acknowledging that further consideration of £2 million may become payable. The Vendor Placing and the Cash Placing have been fully underwritten by Investec.

Highlights

The initial consideration for the acquisition is approximately £14.1 million, with a single further contingent consideration amount of £2.0 million payable should any of the four Wave 1 Independent Sector Treatment Centres ("ISTCs") currently operated by PHG continue to provide services following the end of their initial contract terms. The remaining shareholder loan of £2.9 million from Life to PHG, together with any accrued interest, will also be repaid by PHG at Completion with Care UK receiving an equivalent amount;
The Acquisition, Vendor Placing and Cash Placing are conditional on approval by Care UK's shareholders, the Department of Health ("DoH") and the South African Reserve Bank; the latter approval has already been received;
The Board considers that full ownership of PHG would give Care UK's Health Care division significantly enhanced scale and a broader range of wholly owned competencies to enable it to compete successfully in the emerging market for the provision of services by the independent sector to NHS patients;
Directors and senior management are subscribing for an aggregate of 175,195 New Ordinary Shares in the Placing;
The Board believes that the Acquisition will be earnings enhancing for Care UK in the first full financial year following Completion.*

* This statement should not be interpreted to mean that the earnings per share of Care UK following the Acquisition will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share.

Placing Statistics

Issue Price	345 p
Number of Existing Ordinary Shares in issue prior to the Placing	56,882,432
Number of Vendor Placing Shares to be issued in connection with the Placing	4,100,831
Number of Cash Placing Shares to be issued in connection with the Placing	565,835
Enlarged Issued Share Capital	61,549,098

John Nash, Chairman of Care UK, commented:

"We are pleased to be able to announce today the acquisition of the 50 per cent. interest in PHG that we do not already own. PHG has been very successful in operating its existing four ISTCs and its track record of clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and financial performance is very strong. We believe that the combination of Care UK's existing Health Care business with PHG will provide the best opportunity to create a continuing health care business once the initial contract terms expire for the current ISTCs.

"Care UK's strategy continues to be to address both the Health and Social Care markets and this strategy is demonstrably well founded as the NHS and Local Authorities implement their plans to further utilise the independent sector to deliver services, to shift care from hospital environments to the community and to empower consumers to exercise choice and control. We are confident that our chosen markets continue to offer good opportunities for delivering exceptional long-term value to shareholders."

Financial Close for Manchester and Southampton Wave 2 ISTC contracts

The Manchester CATS service is due to commence in Winter 2008 and is intended to provide extended primary care services in a number of key specialties for patients in Greater Manchester. The contract is expected to require total capital investment of around £13m.

The PHG contract is to provide a range of elective surgical procedures at a newly refurbished treatment centre to be located within the Royal South Hants Hospital in Southampton. The facilities will be leased from Southampton City PCT. The contract will require investment of approximately £5m, all of which will be funded by PHG from internally generated cash flows.

Mike Parish, Chief Executive of Care UK said: "We are delighted to continue working in partnership with the NHS, and particularly with the Primary Care Trusts with whom we have developed close working relationships. Both the Manchester and Southampton services will provide convenient, high quality services for NHS patients, building on our existing experience as members of the NHS family."

Half-yearly results for the six months ended 31 March 2008

Highlights
Six months ended 31 March Amounts in £m unless stated	2008	2007	% change
Revenue: group and share of joint venture	166.7	118.0	+41
Adjusted operating profit ¹	15.9	11.6	+37
Operating (loss)/profit	(3.8)	10.0	-
Adjusted profit before taxation ¹	8.7	7.1	+23
(Loss)/profit before taxation	(9.6)	6.8	-
Adjusted basic EPS ¹	10.99p	9.80p	+12
Basic EPS	(19.23p)	9.16p	-
Interim dividend proposed ²	1.33p	1.22p	+9

¹ Adjusted operating profit, adjusted profit before taxation and adjusted basic EPS are stated before amortisation of intangible assets of £2.4m (£0.3m) and impairment of goodwill and intangible assets of £15.9m (2007: £nil). Adjusted operating profit is stated before joint venture net financing charges and taxation of £1.4m (2007: £1.3m). Adjusted profit before taxation is stated before joint venture taxation of £0.7m (2007: £0.4m). The adjusting items are explained more fully in the Operations & Finance Review.
² In accordance with IAS 10, the proposed interim dividend was not included as a liability at either 31 March 2008 or 31 March 2007.

Another period of good progress for Care UK with continued growth in all four divisions.

Future growth underpinned by strong forward contracted revenue of £1.1bn (2007: £0.9bn) excluding revenue at preferred bidder stage
Current funding headroom of over £80m, sufficient to fund all current development plans

Social Care:

Residential Care organic revenue and operating profit growth of 8%
New home successfully commissioned in Kensington & Chelsea
Strong growth in Community Care - revenue up 30%, operating profit up 28%
Community Care acquisition in South Gloucestershire and significant new contract award in Hertfordshire
Improved margin in Specialist Care, operating profit growth of 9%, all organic

Health Care:

Strong growth in revenue and operating profit, mainly driven by Mercury Health acquisition
Excellent PHG clinical and financial performance continuing
Wave 2 ISTC contracts in Manchester and Southampton expected to reach financial close shortly
Five new primary care contract awards/preferred bidder appointments
West Midlands diagnostics service decommissioned in February 2008, compensation claim under negotiation

John Nash, Chairman of Care UK, commented:
"Care UK's strategy continues to be demonstrably well founded as the NHS and Local Authorities implement their plans to further utilise the independent sector to deliver services, to shift care from hospital environments to the community and to empower consumers to exercise choice and control.

The board believes that Care UK's strategy to address both the Health and Social Care markets is a significant market differentiator given the increasingly evident transition towards greater integration of care pathways across the traditional boundaries between the NHS and Social Services. We are confident that our chosen markets continue to offer good opportunities for delivering exceptional long-term value to shareholders."

Cautionary statement

This half-yearly report has been prepared solely to provide additional information to shareholders to assess the group's strategies and the potential for those strategies to succeed. The half-yearly report should not be relied on by any other party or for any other purpose, and in particular, securities should not be acquired in reliance on the information contained in the half-yearly report. The half-yearly report contains certain forward-looking statements about operational and financial matters. Because they relate to future events and are subject to future circumstances, these forward looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors. These statements are made by the directors in good faith based on the information available to them up to the time of their approval of this report. Such statements should be treated with caution due to the inherent uncertainties, including both economic and business risk factors, underlying any such forward-looking information.

Response to Department of Health Announcement

The group is pleased to note that the DoH has indicated that Care UK's two Manchester CATS projects and Partnership Health Group's ISTC in Southampton are proceeding towards financial close.

The Essex ISTC contract has now been transferred to local ownership. We believe that the management of the Essex ISTC contract by the local commissioning authorities is a positive step. However, a significant number of issues remain to be resolved in order for this project to reach financial close. We continue to work closely with the local Trusts to achieve this.

Interim results for the six months ended 31 March, 2008 are expected to be announced on 19 May, 2008. Should any of the ISTC contracts reach financial close prior to this, we will make the appropriate announcement.

AGM and Interim Management Statement

This statement covers the period from 1 October 2007 to date. Care UK Plc will hold its Annual General Meeting in London at 11.30 am today.

Good progress has been made during the first four months of the current financial year with results being in line with our expectations.

In Social Care we have continued to see good growth in revenue. The benefit of this revenue growth will to some extent be balanced by the cost impact of the additional holiday entitlements arising from the Work and Families Act 2006, which has affected providers in these market sectors from October 2007.

The management contract for a newly built care home in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, awarded in 2007, has now been signed with services planned to start in March 2008. Construction of the new 120-bed greenfield care home in Chelmsford has commenced. The pipeline for further new developments of care homes for older people, both contracted and greenfield, is good.

We are continuing to progress plans to implement a property company structure for a number of existing freehold homes, with the principal purpose of creating a vehicle for further greenfield developments and, potentially, for acquisitions of existing portfolios. The feasibility and timing of this project is of course dependent on market conditions.

We have won a number of new contracts in learning disabilities, children's services and homecare, most notably a homecare contract for around 3,000 hours per week with Hertfordshire County Council. The annualised rate of growth in homecare continues to be strong through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions and the pipeline for acquisitions remains good.

The trading performance in Health Care is well ahead of the prior year and is in line with expectations at the time of the Mercury Health acquisition, completed in April 2007. This particularly reflects the annualised impact of Mercury, albeit we continue to commit considerable resource to bring performance at the Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre up to the required level. The group's 50% owned joint venture, Partnership Health Group ("PHG"), has also continued to perform strongly with its four Wave 1 ISTCs all fully operational and performing well.

The decommissioning process for the West Midlands diagnostics contract, which the Department of Health ("DoH") voluntarily terminated in November 2007, will be completed by mid-February. This process has been handled very professionally by the divisional management team, with patients' interests being fully safeguarded throughout. Our compensation claim for this contract has been submitted and we are in discussion with the DoH. We are also preparing further compensation claims to the DoH for abortive bid and development costs where the Department have either withdrawn or substantially changed Wave 2 ISTC contracts for which the group was appointed preferred bidder.

We continue to work constructively with the DoH towards financial close on the four Wave 2 ISTC contracts where the group is preferred bidder - in Manchester (two projects), Essex and Southampton (PHG).

The pipeline for primary care opportunities is good. The NHS is proceeding with the procurement of 150 health centres and 100 primary care practices under the 'Equitable Access To Primary Medical Care Services' initiative and we believe that this represents a good growth opportunity for Care UK.

Financing
As at 31 January 2008 the group's net debt was c£169m compared with £170m at 30 September 2007. A further interest rate swap was effected in January 2008 for a principal amount of £30m at a rate of 4.97%, running to the group's bank facility expiry date in February 2015. The group now has effective hedging in place on a principal amount of £165m.

Prospects
The group anticipates that current year performance will be in line with the Board's expectations although, as always, the seasonal orientation of profitability will be biased to the second half. We remain optimistic that the growth prospects across the health and social care markets continue to be strong.

New Havant NHS Diagnostic Service Launches

Healthcare services and social care business, Care UK, has been awarded a contract by the Department of Health to develop and operate the Havant NHS Diagnostic Centre in partnership with Hampshire Primary Care Trust (PCT). The new facility will be based within the existing Havant Health Centre.

Care UK also operates healthcare services at the St. Mary's NHS Treatment Centre in Portsmouth.

The Havant NHS Diagnostic Centre will see its first patients today, 14th January 2008.

The service is contracted to carry out over 11,000 X-ray, 4,600 ultrasound, 1200 echocardiograms and 600 MRI scans a year, together with 180 orthopaedic surgical procedures to be carried out at the St Mary's NHS Treatment Centre.

Ben Bradshaw, Health Minister said, "We welcome these new facilities that will provide easier access for NHS patients to local NHS services, and it demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bringing the independent sector into the NHS family to further reduce waiting times. These services will be of the high quality which all NHS patients expect and will still be free at the point of need".

The Centre is open from 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Saturday. Waiting times for diagnostic examinations will be reduced dramatically (e.g. just 3 to 4 weeks for ultrasound) thanks to this new Centre. Diagnostic reports will be provided to referring clinicians within 48 hours.

These healthcare services are for NHS patients only, and access to investigations are via GP direct access referral. The Havant NHS Diagnostic Centre will see patients from an area encompassing Petersfield, Emsworth, Hayling Island, Fareham and Gosport.

The contract for provision of diagnostic services at the Havant NHS Diagnostic Centre is expected to run until 2010.

Managing the Havant NHS Diagnostics Centre is Simon Harvey. He commented: "We are looking forward to working with Hampshire PCT and health care professionals to offer a wide range of diagnostic services, providing local NHS patients with choice, accessibility and reduced waiting times."

He added: "We have invested not only in the latest and best technology, but also in well-qualified diagnostics professionals who are committed to providing quality care and support to our future patients."

GPs can refer patients to the Havant NHS Diagnostics Centre for healthcare services such as X-rays, ultrasounds and echocardiograms. Consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust will be able to refer their patients for these services and MRI.

More information is available by calling 02392 476672 or by logging on at www.havantdiagnosticcentre.nhs.uk.

Preliminary Results for the year ended 30 September 2007

Highlights for the year

Year ended 30 September Amounts in £m unless stated	2007	2006	% change
Revenue: group and share of joint venture	275.7	199.4	+38
Adjusted operating profit ¹	30.4	22.5	+35
Operating profit	23.0	19.5	+18
Adjusted profit before taxation ¹	20.1	15.7	+28
Profit before taxation	14.5	14.2	+2
Adjusted basic EPS ¹	26.26p	21.47p	+22
Basic EPS	20.27p	18.02p	+12
Dividends: Final proposed ² Total paid and proposed	2.80p 4.02p	2.53p 3.65p	+11 +10

¹ Adjusted operating profit, adjusted profit before taxation and adjusted basic EPS are stated before integration & restructuring costs of £2.1m (2006: £nil), amortisation of intangible assets of £2.5m (£0.4m), Richmond property disposal profit of £nil (2006: £1.3m) and goodwill impairment of £nil (2006: £2.3m). Adjusted operating profit is stated before joint venture net financing charges and taxation of £2.8m (2006: £1.6m). Adjusted profit before taxation is stated before joint venture taxation of £1.0m (2006: £0.1m). The adjusting items are explained more fully in the Financial Review.

² In accordance with IAS 10, the final proposed dividend was not included as a liability at either 30 September 2006 or 30 September 2007.

Another year of strong progress for Care UK, with continued growth in all four divisions.

Future growth underpinned by strong forward contracted revenue, now at £1.2bn� (2006: £0.9bn) excluding revenue from preferred bidder appointments

Social Care:
- Residential Care:
  - Revenue growth of 15%, all organic, with underlying margin improvement
  - Two new homes successfully commissioned with a total of 147 beds
  - Two further contract awards in the year and a new greenfield development under construction
- Community Care:
  - Strong revenue growth at 28%, operating profit improvement of 30%
  - Acquisition of new branches in Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Kent
  - Good progress in developing and implementing outcome-based care services
- Specialist Care:
  - Revenue and operating profit growth of 17%
  - Learning Disabilities contract wins in Cheshire and Stirling, renewed and extended important Essex contract
  - Significant strengthening of management team
Health Care:
- Acquisition of Mercury Health in April 2007; operational integration successfully completed, financial contribution in line with expectations
- Four "Wave 2" contracts proceeding including additional CATS contract in Manchester
- Five contract awards/preferred bidder appointments within Primary Care
- Continuing strong clinical and financial performance from PHG
- West Midlands Diagnostics contract terminated from February 2008 due to change in assessment of capacity requirements

John Nash, Chairman of Care UK, commented:

"Care UK has established a firm business foundation with excellent visibility of future earnings through long-term contracts, a high level of income guarantees and the inherent continuity of essential services. The group's financial strength is further underpinned by strong cash flows and the value of its property assets.

We believe that Care UK continues to be well placed within its chosen markets and the scale, quantity and range of opportunities for both organic and acquisitive growth are compelling. The board is, therefore, confident that Care UK will maintain its strong performance during the coming years."

View the investor presentation here.

Response to Department of Health Announcement

The group is pleased to note that the DoH has indicated that Care UK's Manchester CATS project and the Essex ISTC are progressing, as is Partnership Health Group's ISTC in Southampton. In addition, Care UK has also been invited to be sole bidder for a second CATS project in Manchester.

Care UK is disappointed, however, that the DoH has asked for a voluntary termination of the West Midlands Diagnostics contract awarded to Mercury Health in December 2006 because of changes in capacity requirements across this region. The termination provisions in the contract provide for compensation to be paid in such a situation. As notice of this contract termination has only just been received, it is too early to comment on the accounting implications surrounding the termination of the contract and the level of compensation claimable by the group, However, the termination does not fall to be treated as an adjusting post Balance Sheet event for the year ended 30 September 2007 and Care UK confirms that the results for the year ended 30 September 2007 are in line with market expectations.

Care UK will provide a more detailed update with its Preliminary Results announcement on Monday 19 November 2007.

Success For Care UK's Children's Services

Chris, who has been with child care provider Care UK for seven years, beat off stiff competition from across Wales to achieve this remarkable award. Six semi-finalists where whittled down to just three finalists, and Chris received his award at a glittering ceremony held at City Hall, Cardiff.

Said Chris: "I am delighted to have won this award, which is really about the level of service we all provide for children in our care. My thanks go to my colleagues who have supported me in my work, and to Care UK which has not only supported me in my career, but also paid for my parents to attend the award ceremony."

Mario Kreft, chief executive of Care Forum Wales, added: "This year we received a record number of entries and have presented more awards than ever before. It has been a pleasure to recognise the commitment and contribution of all the finalists and the winners. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their achievement."

Chris's success follows the news that Care UK Children's Services, the child care provider responsible for the education and care of hundreds of vulnerable children around the UK, has achieved A Grade Centre status for NVQ Assessment. The training team of four is headed by training manager Zahra Leggatt, and she and her team are responsible for the training requirements of 125 members of staff.

NVQ external verifiers confirmed that very few centres are given the award and that the programmed delivered at Care UK Children's Services is "outstanding." Jan Wood, NVQ External Verifier who works closely with the Welsh Assembly Government and Care Council for Wales, went on to say: "This is an exceptional centre. Candidates really do develop into reflective practitioners and must therefore enhance service."

New Walk in Centre Websites launched

The sites provide a wealth of information for patients and other interested groups. Sites have been launched for the Victoria NHS Walk in Centre, Newcastle Central NHS Walk in Centre and Broad Street NHS Walk in Centre.

Victoria - www.victoriawalkincentre.co.uk
Newcastle - www.newcastlecentralwalkincentre.co.uk
Broad Street - www.broadstreetwalkincentre.co.uk

NHS Walk-in Centres give fast access to health advice and treatment. They can be used by almost anyone on a drop-in basis.

Pre-Close Trading Update

The Board of Care UK is pleased with the progress the Company has made during the year operationally as well as with new project implementations, acquisitions and contract awards. The Board anticipates that trading for the year will be in line with market expectations. The outlook for future years remains highly positive.

Social Care
Our Residential Care division has continued to make good progress. The previously announced contract for a new care home in Slough has now been signed and the Kensington contract is expected to be signed shortly. The pipeline of opportunities continues to support our growth expectations for this division, including investment in greenfield developments. The sale of the second surplus site in Richmond is now expected to be completed during the first half of the next financial year rather than in the current year.

The Community Care division continues to perform strongly, as a result of a positive focus on Local Authority reorientation from basic homecare to the provision of more intensive services focused on improving outcomes for service users. Since the interim results announcement in May 2007 we have acquired Homecare Services (Kent) Limited for an initial consideration of £4.5 million. Providing 8,000 hours per week, Homecare Services is an important provider in the region. Our expectations are for continued strong growth in the Community Care division.

The Specialist Care division is making positive progress as its new management team has established itself. Operational performance has improved across the division and we expect higher occupancy levels as a consequence. The planned review of strategy for the Specialist Care division is progressing and this will be outlined at the time of the preliminary results in November 2007.

Health Care
We are encouraged that the new Prime Minister and Secretary of State have re-confirmed the importance of the role of the independent sector as part of the ongoing improvement plan for the NHS.

Care UK and Partnership Health Group ("PHG"), our 50% owned joint venture, are both preferred bidders for a number of projects within the Department of Health's second wave of procurement for ISTCs. The Department of Health is conducting a review to ensure that projects in the second phase of the procurement meet both local capacity requirements and NHS internal cost benchmarks. We are positively engaged with the review process, which is currently expected to be completed by the end of October, with financial close for outstanding projects to follow.

Whilst the delay and uncertainty inevitably caused by further review is disappointing, as the emphasis moves from central procurement to locally led reform we believe that local ownership is vital to the long-term success of these projects and our focus on meeting those needs will maintain a significant flow of opportunities for Care UK during the coming years. We remain focused on achieving a positive outcome for the majority of those projects currently at the preferred bidder stage.

PHG continues to perform strongly both operationally and financially, providing an excellent level of clinical and patient satisfaction service in all of its operational centres.

Care UK's Primary Care division has continued to make good progress and the current new business pipeline reflects the Government and NHS focus on improving access and the range of services available within primary care. The contract to provide an Urgent Care Centre in Luton and Bedfordshire is now operating satisfactorily and this service line offers good growth potential. Further contracts have been awarded for GP services by HM Prison Birmingham and by Barking and Dagenham PCT as an extension of the Broad Street practice.

Mercury Health, acquired in April 2007, has been fully integrated into the group in line with our acquisition plan and now forms Care UK's Secondary Care and Diagnostics divisions.

The treatment centres in Portsmouth, Medway and High Wycombe are now well established and are performing well. As anticipated, the Mid-Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre at Haywards Heath is not yet at targeted levels of performance, but we expect this to be resolved during the next financial year. The West Midlands diagnostics contract commenced service delivery in July 2007 and the focus is now on building demand in line with the contracted activity.

Care UK now has demonstrable expertise in a range of secondary, diagnostics and primary care services that are central to the NHS strategy to move health care from acute hospitals to community based health care models. Accordingly, we see considerable scope for growth as the recently established Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts develop and implement their reform and improvement plans.

Funding
The revised group borrowing facilities, totalling £235 million, finalised as part of the acquisition of Mercury Health in April 2007 provide sufficient headroom for the group's current range of development projects. All of the group's hedging arrangements are fully effective at LIBOR rates of 6% or above. Currently the group has approximately £45 million of net borrowings funded on a floating rate basis.

Commenting on the outlook, Mike Parish, Chief Executive of Care UK said:

"Through organic growth and important acquisitions Care UK continues to establish itself as the leading provider of health and social care services for the general public.

"The markets that we serve are substantial and are subject to radical reform. Care UK's range of expertise and strong reputation for partnership working positions it extremely well for long term sustainable performance and growth."

Value of Walk-In Centre Programme Proved in Newcastle

The patient, who cannot be named, was on a month-long secondment for business in Newcastle when she discovered a lump in her breast.

She had a severe family history of breast cancer - her mother had had a double mastectomy and chemotherapy and other members of her family had suffered from the condition - and she was understandably worried and concerned.

"The patient came to see us on a Thursday evening," said Teresa McKillop from the Walk-In Centre. "Within 45 minutes we had assessed her condition, explained it to her, reassured her, called the Breast Cancer Unit at Newcastle General Hospital and secured an appointment for her on the following Tuesday, printed off her notes and faxed them to the consultant."

She added: "By working closely with our colleagues elsewhere in the NHS, we were able to reassure our patient and set her on a path of treatment - even though her own GP was based hundreds of miles away. We were also able to arrange for her to be seen well within the two week Government target for cancerous lumps."

The Newcastle Central NHS Walk-In Centre is run by Care UK contracted by the Department of Health. It is one of a number of independently run NHS Walk-In Centres that were introduced to provide easy access primary care to people in areas where they live and work. Care UK also runs NHS Walk-In Centres in Dagenham in Essex, and Victoria and Stamford Hill in London.

The Newcastle Central NHS Walk-In Centre is open between 7.00am and 7.00pm, Monday to Friday. No appointment is necessary. More information is available by calling 0191 233 3670.