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Accord Group doubles size of healthcare offering through acquisition of Direct Health Communities across the Midlands now have increased access to health care, social services and support in the comfort of their own homes, following the announcement by Accord Group that it has acquired Nottingham-based Direct Health Group.
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he deal sees the Group’s workforce increase to 4,500 and a further 2,000 jobs created across the region over the next three years. The deal, which is a natural extension of the Accord Group’s already significant health and social care business, will increase the reach of the care services it offers, enabling it to provide around 3.5 million hours of homebased and residential care each year, allowing more people to lead independent lives. The 2,000 new job opportunities being created over the next three years will be driven by a planned expansion in services and natural vacancies and there will be no job losses as a result of the deal.
Direct Health continues to operate as an independent company under its existing management structure but is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Accord Group. It currently operates 18 branches across the Midlands, North East and North West regions from its head office in Nottingham and is the ninth largest provider in the UK. Accord Group Chief Executive, Dr Chris Handy, said: “This is an exciting announcement for both businesses. Direct Health is one of the UK’s leading providers of care to people in their own homes and it is a business which has always enjoyed solid organic growth. We have seen it build an excellent reputation, both for the quality of its care and for its strength as a business, becoming fullyintegrated into the communities in which it operates.
Our customers tell us they have a strong preference for receiving care in their own homes and in acquiring one of the leading providers in the UK, we are responding to this demand in a direct, logical and positive manner.” Jonathan Vellacott, Chief Executive Officer of Direct Health, said: “Direct Health is a solid and well regarded operator within the domiciliary care sector. I believe that becoming part of the Accord Group will enable us to provide a broader range of services into the communities that we serve. We believe that this solid base will allow us, with Accord’s support, to accelerate Direct Health’s growth; focusing specifically on geographical expansion, a broadening of the care offering into higher acuity services and acquisition of further complex care capability.”
D r. Chris Handy, Accord Group Chief Executive with Jonathan Vellacott, Chief Executive of Direct Health.
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