Care Home Groups - The Largest Care Home Providers in the UK
There are around 457,000 care home beds across 15,000 care homes in England, and around 536,000 registered beds in the UK as a whole.
While many homes are independently run, a large number sit within care home groups or providers. Here, we’ve shared the UK’s five biggest care home providers, including Care UK and HC One.
Many of these care home operators offer meaningful careers in care as well. For anyone searching for a new care role, check out Florence - a marketplace that connects carers with available jobs.
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In this article on care home groups:
- How many care home providers are there?
- Who are the largest care home providers in the UK?
- UK occupancy rates
The Number of Care Home Providers
Roughly 17,900 organisations provided or organised some form of adult social care in England across 2021/22.
In the UK alone, GOV.UK has estimated the care home sector to be worth around £15.9 billion a year across 410,000 residents. This trickles down to around 5,500 different UK care providers - and this number is constantly rising.
Around 95% of these beds are found within the independent sector, while the rest are run by local councils.
Who are the Largest Care Home Providers in the UK?
Here are the UK’s five biggest care home providers:
- HC-One (13,050 beds across 219 care homes)
- Four Seasons Health Care (5,645 beds across 100 homes)
- Barchester Healthcare (13,800 beds across 214 homes)
- Care UK (10,170 beds across 146 homes)
- Bupa (7,700 beds across 130 homes)
Source: CQC Data January 2023
1. HC-One
Overview
HC-One was founded in 2011 and has care homes across England, Wales and Scotland. HC-One is commonly known as the UK’s largest care home operator.
James Tugendhat is the Chief Executive of HC-One. Before joining HC-One, James worked across a variety of sectors, having started his career in financial services before moving into leadership roles within the care sector.
More recently, James led the European and international division of the US-based childcare provider Bright Horizons. He also spent several years with Bupa and has been President and CEO of Boston-based Health Dialog.
How full are their homes?
In 2020, HC-One’s average occupancy rate stood at 88.4%. From 2011 to 2016, this occupancy rate increased, reaching a peak of 93% in 2016.
Revenue and profitability
In 2020, the annual revenue of HC-One Limited reached almost £340 million. This figure has been steadily rising since 2016.
| HC-One Stats and Information: | |
| Number of Care Homes in the UK | Approximately 219 |
| Number of Beds | Approximately 13,050 |
2. Four Seasons Health Care
Overview
With a network of 100+ care homes across England and Scotland, Four Seasons Health Care (FSHC) employ approximately 9,000 team members who provide long-term and respite care.
In July 2022, Jeremy Richardson joined the Runwood Homes Group as Chief Executive Officer, having previously been the CEO at Four Seasons Health Care. The Four Seasons management team includes Jacqui Ritchie (Managing Director) and Richard Stelmach (Director of Information Technology).
Care home costs
Our internal data shows the average weekly cost of a Four Seasons Health Care bed in the UK is £1017.
| Four Seasons Health Care Stats and Information: | |
| Number of Care Homes in the UK | 100 |
| Number of Beds | 5,645 |
Our Four Seasons care homes
Here are a few of Four Seasons' care homes that we list:
Swan House care home in Chatteris
3. Barchester Healthcare
Overview
Barchester Healthcare has expanded to provide care to over 13,000 residents across more than 200 care homes in the UK.
Over the last 5 years, Barchester has opened 19 new care homes providing person-centred care, 1 hospital and 3 small retirement communities. Today, they have more than 17,000 staff.
The CEO of Barchester Healthcare is Dr Pete Calveley. He has held this position since 2014. Pete Calveley has worked in the care industry for over 25 years. His background is rooted in health, having trained as a doctor before going on to work as a GP for 20 years.
Care home costs
Our internal data shows the average weekly care home cost of a Barchester Healthcare bed in the UK is £1,407.
Revenue and profitability
The annual revenue of Barchester Healthcare Limited reached over £633 million in 2020. From 2015 to 2019, Barchester’s turnover steadily increased.
| Barchester Healthcare Stats and Information: | |
| Number of Care Homes in the UK | Approximately 214 |
| Number of Beds | Approximately 13,800 |
Our Barchester care homes
Here are a few of Barchester's care homes that we list:
West Oak care home in Wokingham
Lucerne House care home in Exeter
Badgeworth Court care home in Cheltenham
4. Care UK
Overview
With 40+ years of experience, Care UK has well over 100 care homes and over 10,000 beds - including nursing homes and residential homes. This range makes it easy to find the right care for your loved one's care needs. Care UK is the most awarded care home group across the last two years and has more ‘Outstanding’ CQC rated care homes than any other provider.
Care UK employs over 10,000 members of staff across England, Scotland and Wales.
The CEO of Care UK is Andrew Knight. Andrew joined Care UK in 2014 before becoming CEO in 2018. COO Martin Friend joined Care UK in 2022. Martin worked as Operations Director and Chief Operating Officer of Nuffield Health before joining Care UK.
Care home costs
Our internal data shows the average weekly cost of a Care UK bed is £1,443.
Revenue and profitability
For the full 12 months to 30th September 2020, Care UK reported total revenue as £401 million, compared to £735.6 million in 2019.
| Care UK Stats and Information: | |
| Number of Care Homes in the UK | Approximately 146 |
| Number of Beds | Approximately 10,170 |
Our Care UK care homes
Here are a few of Care UK's care homes that we list:
Jubilee House care home in Godalming
Sherwood Grange care home in London
Mountfitchet House care home in Stansted Mountfitchet
5. Bupa
Overview
Bupa is a leading international healthcare group that runs health centres, hospitals and more, as well as over 120 care homes in the UK alone.
Bupa homes cover a range of care types, including residential, nursing, dementia, respite, convalescent care and palliative care.
Bupa Group CEO Inaki Ereno is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of the business. Inaki became CEO at the beginning of 2021, having joined the company in 2005 and held several different leadership roles in the years in between.
James Lenton is Bupa Group’s Chief Financial Officer. James joined in September 2021 and formally became Group CFO in November 2021. Prior to joining Bupa, James was CFO of Hammerson plc and of AIG’s European Group before that.
Care home costs
Our internal data shows the average weekly cost of a Bupa care home bed in the UK is £1,202.
Revenue and profitability
In 2021, Bupa’s revenue of £12.9 billion was up 8% from 2020. Profit before taxation of £423 million was up 7% from 2020.
| Bupa Stats and Information: | |
| Number of Care Homes in the UK | 130 |
| Number of Beds | Approximately 7,700 |
Our Bupa care homes
Here are a few of Bupa's care homes that we list:
Eglantine Villa care home in Dartford
Arbrook House care home in Esher
UK Occupancy Rates
Here, you can see how occupancy rates in UK care homes (which we’ve been comparing to the largest care home providers) have changed from 2006 to 2021:
| Year | Occupancy Rate |
| 2021 | 79% |
| 2020 | 80.1% |
| 2019 | 87.9% |
| 2018 | 88.9% |
| 2017 | 89.4% |
| 2016 | 89.2% |
| 2015 | 88.4% |
| 2014 | 88.3% |
| 2013 | 87.6% |
| 2012 | 87.2% |
| 2011 | 87.8% |
| 2010 | 87.2% |
| 2009 | 87.7% |
| 2008 | 88.9% |
| 2007 | 88.8% |
Source: Statista
Additional Sources Used
CQC Data January 2023 - Number of England care home beds
Public Health Scotland Care Home Census - Number of Scotland care home beds
Care Home Commissioning for Older People - Number of Wales care home beds
RQIA report - Number of Northern Ireland care home beds
Searching for care homes near you can be a stressful and time-consuming operation. Thankfully, we’ve removed much of the difficulty from this process by utilising years of expertise to connect you or your loved ones to the UK’s very best care homes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest care home group in the UK?
The largest care home group in the UK is HC-One. They operate over 200 care homes, with these containing over 13,000 beds in total.
What is a care home team?
A care home team comprises several experts who will ensure your loved one receives an exceptional standard of care. This team will include a care home manager, a deputy manager and care workers. This team may also include registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and activity coordinators.
How many care home operators are there in the UK?
According to CQC data from May 2023, there are over 14,800 care homes in the UK. Meanwhile, GOV.UK estimates there are around 5,500 different care home operators across these homes. Around 95% of the total care home beds in the UK are provided by private sector organisations (such as independent companies and charitable organisations).
Do the NHS own care homes?
Most care homes are privately owned by independent companies such as Bupa and HC-One. However, some care homes are run by a combination of NHS foundation trusts, charitable organisations and local authorities.
