{{About|the former UK domiciliary care company|the health professions described using the same term|Allied health professions}}
'''Nestor Primecare Services Limited''', also known as '''Allied Healthcare''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-102643096/reports|title=Report on Nestor Primecare Services Limited|publisher=Care Quality Commission|location=Newcastle-upon-Tyne|year=2018|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> was the UK's largest domiciliary care business and a leading provider of outsourced healthcare services to the English primary care sector.<ref name=saga1>{{Cite press release |title= Press release London, 1 December 2015 |url=https://aureliusinvest.com/en/equity-opportunities/press/press-releases/aurelius-erwirbt-allied-healthcare-von-saga-plc/|publisher=Aurelius |accessdate= 28 December 2016}}</ref> In 2018 Nestor Primecare Service went into Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation ("CVL") and liquidators were appointed. Private equity firm Twenty20 Capital acquired Allied Healthcare and merged it with its existing homecare brand (CRG Homecare). HCRG Care Group (part of Twenty20) eventually sold CRG Homecare and Allied Healthcare to Cera Care.
==History== Allied Healthcare started in 1972, with a nursing home in Staffordshire and in 2011 when it was acquired by Saga group it had 140 branches across the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.homecare.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1594921/Allied-healthcare-highly-challenging-environment-sees-home-care-firm|title=Highly challenging' environment sees Allied Healthcare seek rescue plan|publisher=Homecare|access-date=2018-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/allied-healthcare-international-inc-to-be-acquired-by-saga-group-limited-nasdaq-ahci-1543877.htm|title=Allied Healthcare International Inc. to Be Acquired by Saga Group Limited|publisher=Market wired|accessdate=29 December 2016|year=2011}}</ref>
In December 2015, Saga agreed to sell Allied Healthcare to Aurelius Group, a mid-market, pan-european investor.<ref name=saga1/><ref>{{Cite web|title= The "GOOD HOME" for companies| url=http://aureliusinvest.com/|publisher=Aurelius Group|accessdate= 28 December 2016}}</ref>
Nestor Primecare Services Ltd., registered in Stafford, was the legal entity behind the Allied Healthcare brand. It also provides Out-of-hours services.<ref>{{cite news |title=CCGs braced for care firm collapse |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/commissioning/ccgs-braced-for-care-firm-collapse/7022250.article |accessdate=17 June 2018 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=27 April 2018}}</ref>
On 21 April 2018, Allied Healthcare announced it would seek a Company Voluntary Arrangement to protect itself from creditors due to a "highly challenging environment", through it would continue to operate without redundancies.<ref name=bbc-20180421>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43850046 |title=Allied Healthcare: Home care provider seeks rescue plan |work=BBC News |date=21 April 2018 |accessdate=21 April 2018}}</ref> In November 2018 the Care Quality Commission issued a notice saying it had serious doubts about the future of the business and warned local authorities that they might have to intervene. The company said this was "premature and unwarranted" as they had secured further funding support.<ref>{{cite news |title=Major home care provider future 'at risk' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46103018 |accessdate=8 November 2018 |publisher=BBC |date=6 November 2018}}</ref> It subsequently announced it was exploring the sale or transition of services to alternative providers, including the transfer of staff.<ref>{{cite news |title=Allied Healthcare to transfer care contracts |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46240233 |accessdate=19 November 2018 |publisher=BBC |date=16 November 2018}}</ref> In November 2018 Nestor Primecare went into administration, it terminated its contract for the out-of-hours service in Birmingham in November 2018. The service was taken over by the Badger GP-run out-of-hours and urgent care cooperative.<ref>{{cite news |title=GP co-op takes over out-of-hours for 300,000 patients after provider collapse |url=http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/your-practice/practice-topics/out-of-hours/gp-co-op-takes-over-out-of-hours-for-300000-patients-after-provider-collapse/20037888.article |accessdate=26 December 2018 |publisher=Pulse |date=3 December 2018}}</ref>
In December 2018, significant parts of CRG Homecare and Allied Health care business was acquired by Health Care Resourcing Group(HCRG) from Aurelius. HCRG a specialist healthcare recruitment agency, took over any remaining care contracts at that time and in April 2020 the remaining Nestor Primecare business ceased trading and was wound up.<ref >{{cite news |title=CRG saves Allied Healthcare and vows not to break up home care portfolio |url=https://www.homecare.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1602814/CRG-saves-allied-healthcare-and-vows-not-to-break-up-hopmecare-portfolio |accessdate=14 January 2019 |publisher=Homecare co uk |date=3 December 2018}}</ref>
In 2023 Cera Care acquired CRG Homecare and Allied Healthcare from HCRG.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Cera|title=CRG is now part of Cera|url=https://ceracare.co.uk/crg-home|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227110914/https://ceracare.co.uk/crg-home|archive-date=27 February 2023|access-date=27 February 2023|year=2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Legal action== In October 2014 Allied Healthcare, then owned by Saga, was ordered to pay the legal costs of Elaine Fernandez, a nurse who was awarded more than £80,000 by an employment tribunal in 2013. It ruled she was unfairly dismissed and suffered detriment for making protected whistleblowing disclosures. The tribunal said the company had pursued a "defensive position" that was "unreasonably hostile". She had raised concerns after Hywel Dda Health Board which commissioned the company to provide nursing care for a disabled patient decided to replace nurses with healthcare assistants.<ref>{{cite news|title=Whistleblowing nurse receives £80k payout|url=https://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/nurse-managers/hostile-private-provider-must-pay-nurse-whistleblowers-legal-costs-07-10-2014/|accessdate=9 November 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701211909/https://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/nurse-managers/hostile-private-provider-must-pay-nurse-whistleblowers-legal-costs/5075556.article?search=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nursingtimes.net%2Fsearcharticles%3Fqsearch%3D1&keywords=Elaine+Fernandez|archive-date=1 July 2019|publisher=Nursing Times|date=7 October 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==See also== *Private medicine in the United Kingdom
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.hcrgcaregroup.com HCRG website] *[https://www.alliedhealthcare.com/ Official website] *[https://www.badger-group.com Badger Group GP Out of Hours Services] Category:Health care companies of the United Kingdom Category:Private providers of NHS services Category:Primary care