Care home marketplace: Mergers and acquisitions round-up

02 October 2026

CareTrust strikes £1.1bn deal to acquire 45 new LNT UK care homes

US-based healthcare real estate investor CareTrust REIT has announced a £1.1 billion agreement with LNT Care Developments to acquire 45 newly developed care homes across the UK.

The firm said in a statement that all homes will be operated by subsidiaries of Crystal Care, LNT's care home operating company, and will operate under lease arrangements designed to support occupancy growth as new services establish themselves, before moving into a long-term operating structure.

It added the transaction will be completed in stages, with the first phase having already closed and comprising 24 homes built within the past two years. The remaining 21 homes are currently under development and are expected to be acquired on a rolling basis throughout 2027, subject to completion and regulatory approvals.

The CareTrust statement said LNT has developed more than 250 care homes to date and said it is currently delivering close to 30 new homes a year.

The deal marks the first large investment by a US REIT in the UK market following the conclusion of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe into Welltower’s takeover of more than 600 homes.

CareTrust chief investment officer James Callister said the deal “materially improves the age, quality and configuration of our overall UK care home portfolio."

LNT founder Lawrence Tomlinson said the “transaction was never simply about raising capital”.

"We were keen to carefully choose a strategic partner who could help us deliver on our vision of hundreds of desperately needed new care homes across the United Kingdom,” he added.

CareTrust chief executive Dave Sedgwick described LNT as "one of one" in the UK market and said the company hoped to support the developer as it seeks to deliver "hundreds more homes over the next decade and beyond".

The company said the agreement also includes an option for CareTrust to acquire the LNT platform in the future as the two organisations explore further opportunities to work together.

25 September 2026

ENA Care expands regional footprint via two Plenus homes

South Yorkshire operator ENA Care has expanded its regional footprint with the acquisition of Plenus Care’s two residential care homes.

The deal, brokered by NGA Care, sees places for 49  places for older people, including those living with dementia, at Manor Care Home in Scotter, near Gainsborough, and Lindum Court in Owston Ferry, near Doncaster added to ENA’s portfolio alongside its existing Doncaster-based Old Rectory Nursing Home, which provides nursing and personal care for older people, including residents living with dementia and physical disabilities.

Both Plenus homes have overall Care Quality Commission ratings of ‘requires improvement’, with RI judgements for the ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ areas, while ENA’s existing home in the area is rated Good.

24 September 2026

Care home shortages driving up prices amid strong demand - report

A shortage of care homes coming to market is continuing to drive competition among buyers and support rising asset values across the sector, according to new research from Christie & Co.

In its annual Care Market Review, published today, the specialist brokerage said the first half of 2026 saw the lowest level of elderly care home instructions to the open market in the past six years, despite strong appetite from operators, investors and first-time buyers.

It said its research, drawing on consultancy data on transactional and valuation activity and insights from operators across England, Scotland and Wales, also found operators are holding on to assets longer as trading conditions improve, with higher occupancy and less reliance on agency staff creating a more stable operating environment.

International investor demand 

International demand led by US investors remained strong in the first half of 2026 despite transaction volumes falling from the previous year’s ‘spectacular’ £12bn overall UK healthcare market peak, according to the report.

It highlighted that US investors have accounted for more than two-thirds of cross-border capital entering the UK care home sector over the past five years and were involved in at least 70 per cent of transactions, with investment reaching a record £12 billion in 2025, driven by a series of major deals including more than £7 billion deployed by US real estate investment trust Welltower, while Omega Healthcare Investors and CareTrust also remained active.

The report also highlights the growing use of management contract ownership structures across the care home market, particularly among US investors such as Welltower, which it said is 'reshaping ownership structures' across parts of the sector and is expected to remain a key feature of deal activity through 2026. 

Meanwhile, the broker said it expects to see further overall growth in capital values this year following a 7 per cent rise in 2025, as multiple bids are now 'commonplace' on care home sales amid  ‘constrained’ supply.

Expansion plans remain strong

Homes with 20 to 39 beds accounted for 50 per cent of all instructions during the first half of 2026, while larger homes of 40 beds and above represented just 9 per cent of instructions, down from 20 per cent in 2020, according to the broker.

The report's operator sentiment survey found that more than half (52 per cent) of providers plan to acquire a care home in the next 12 months, while a further quarter (26 per cent) considering both buying and selling opportunities.

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of respondents in Scotland and Wales said they were looking to expand, according to the report.

The broker also reported that first-time buyers accounted for the highest proportion of the market in the first half of 2026, with more than one in five (21 per cent) of completions among this group.

Meanwhile, the report showed that small and medium-sized groups completed 38 per cent of transactions, making them the most active buyer group in the market.  

The report said an average of 5.3 offers were received per instruction during the first half of 2026, broadly in line with 2025 levels despite lower volumes of stock coming to the market. Meanwhile, average completion prices reached 97 per cent of asking price, up from 95 per cent in 2025.

Lower fee growth

Meanwhile, local authority fee rate uplifts for 2026/27 range from 4.3 per cent to 5.1 per cent across the UK, according to the report, which added they are 'generally lower' than recent years, placing renewed focus on the gap between fee growth and rising operating costs.

This trend is reflected in Christie & Co's annual sentiment survey, which found that the proportion of operators receiving local authority fee increases of more than 5 per cent fell from 31 per cent in 2025 to 22 per cent in 2026. As a result, many providers continue to rely on private fee growth and operational efficiencies to help maintain financial performance.

Christie & Co care managing director said there is a "renewed sense of confidence across the market, with operators increasingly focused on growth, investment, and planning for a more sustainable and efficient future" but warned there "are still important issues to navigate, such as workforce retention and local authority funding."

09 September 2026

Numada Healthcare grows Hampshire portfolio

A Gosport-based care group has added a sixth care home to its local portfolio following its acquisition of The Grange Nursing Home near Basingstoke, in a deal brokered by Christie & Co.

The 26-bed nursing home, set in a converted nineteenth-century farmhouse, had been owned and operated by Accurocare since 1987, but was sold after the firm said it wanted to focus on its other four homes in Wales and the Oxford and Liverpool areas.

The acquisition brings Numada Healthcare's presence in the county to six homes, and comes with an option to add 14 extra bedrooms via planning permission for a rear extension granted in 2022.

The Grange was rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its latest assessment, published in May 2026, with positive ratings for safety, effectiveness, caring and responsiveness, although it received a Requires Improvement judgement for the ‘well-led’ area.

02 September 2026

Caron Group footprint expands to 19 care homes after Aberdare acquisition

Welsh operator Caron Group has acquired Ysguborwen Care Home in Aberdare, bringing an 80-bed nursing and specialist dementia care service into its South Wales portfolio.

The home provides elderly care, nursing care and dementia support from a three-storey property with a purpose-built extension, landscaped grounds and a range of resident facilities, including dedicated dementia care areas and ‘wellbeing amenities’, according to a statement from Christies & Co, which handled the sale.

The home, which was sold by Bristol area based Osbourne Homes to focus on operations in England, according to owner Josh Slator, brings the Caron Group tally of residential, nursing and dementia care services across South and Mid Wales to 19 homes.

Caron Group chair Sanjiv Joshi said Ysguborwen is a “highly regarded service with an established reputation for elderly and dementia care”. The group said the acquisition reflects its continued investment in Welsh care provision and builds on previous portfolio expansion activity across the region.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

18 August 2026

Holmwood Care Group acquires eight-home Milkwood Care portfolio

Holmwood Care Group has acquired Milkwood Care’s eight care homes across southern England, taking its total portfolio to 25 facilities.

Milkwood provides 237 registered care places across its eight homes, providing a mix of residential, nursing and dementia care services for older people across Hampshire, Berkshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. According to the Care Quality Commission, seven of Milkwood Care's eight registered services are currently rated either Good or Outstanding. The portfolio includes one Outstanding-rated home, Castleford House Nursing Home in Gloucestershire, six homes rated Good, and one home, Chatterwood Nursing Home in Hampshire, rated Requires Improvement. 

Holmwood is a family-owned provider, led by brothers Dr Asif Raja and Farooq Raja, that operates residential, nursing and dementia care services for older people, alongside specialist services for adults with learning disabilities, supported living and day opportunities.

According to an announcement from Christie & Co, which brokered the purchase, the Milkwood founder directors will remain involved with the business during a 12-month transition period to support continuity for residents, families and staff.

Holmwood said it intends to continue investing across the Milkwood portfolio, including in care home environments, workforce development, training and technology. 

13 August 2026

CareTrust REIT UK care homes investment reaches almost £300m

US healthcare property investor CareTrust REIT has revealed it has invested $397 million (£294 million) into UK care homes so far this year as part of a wider $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) investment programme across its healthcare real estate portfolio.

The real estate investment trust (REIT) disclosed the figure in its recent second-quarter 2026 financial presentation, which highlighted UK care homes as one of its key growth markets alongside US skilled nursing and senior housing operations.

CareTrust REIT, which entered the UK market last year after acquiring Care REIT, now owns 139 care facilities across the UK with around 8,200 beds, concentrated particularly in the North West of England, Scotland, the West Midlands and Yorkshire & the Humber, ranging from smaller specialist facilities of around 20 to 40 beds through to larger care centres accommodating more than 100 residents.

It reported approximately $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) of investment activity year to date, with around $900 million (£667 million) rolled out during the second quarter alone, and an investment pipeline of approximately $540 million (£400 million), including additional opportunities involving UK care homes.

12 August 2026

Devon Care & Living expands with Penhellis House acquisition

Devon Care & Living has acquired a 23-bed nursing home in Helston, Cornwall, in a deal brokered by Christie & Co for an undisclosed sum.

Penhellis Nursing Home is registered to provide nursing and personal care for up to 26 older people, including residents living with dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments, and was rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)across all five inspection domains in July 2023.

The home - a Grade II listed Georgian property dating from the 1840s  -  has 18 en suite rooms.

The acquisition expands Devon Care & Living’s footprint in the South West to three care homes, following the company’s purchase of two homes in Paignton last year.

30 July 2026

Kingsley Healthcare acquires Hampshire nursing home and home care business

Kingsley Healthcare Group has expanded its South Coast presence with the acquisition of St George's Nursing Home and St George's Home Care in Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire.

Brokered by Christie & Co, the transaction includes a 56-bed nursing and residential care home and a domiciliary care agency serving Milford-on-Sea and surrounding communities. The businesses had been owned by Dragon Holdings since 2001 and were being sold due to retirement.

According to Kingsley Healthcare, which operates 44 care homes and home care services across England, the acquisition offers 'great synergies' with its existing operations in Highcliffe and Bournemouth.

The sale price was not disclosed.

22 July 2026

CMA extends Welltower care home takeover probe

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has extended the deadline for its consideration of US real estate investment trust Welltower's proposals to sell off and change operator of some of its portfolio in response to the regulator's anticompetitive concerns over its acquisition of hundreds of UK care homes.

The regulator is investigating four completed acquisitions involving more than 600 care homes operated by Barchester Healthcare, HC-One, Aria Care and Danforth Care.

It concluded earlier this year that the mergers may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition in certain local markets, and indicated that the deals could be referred for a more detailed Phase 2 investigation unless acceptable remedies were offered.

The watchdog said in May it believed the US Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) proposals involving selling-off of undisclosed assets from Welltower and Apex Healthcare Properties could address its concerns and would make a final decision by July 21^st.

However, it has now extended the period for considering those undertakings until 17^th September 2026. 

10 July 2026

Senior team shake-up at Parklands Care Homes after Myriad Group takeover

Longstanding Parklands Care Homes' managing director has stepped down following Myriad Group’s acquisition of the North Scotland operator.

Myriad Group, which also owns Caring Homes, has added Parkland's 14 homes across the region to its existing 20 homes, which include a couple of facilities in Scotland but are mainly spread across the south and eastern regions in England.

Parklands will continue to operate as a standalone business, retaining most of its existing management team, Myriad said.

Parklands Care MD Ron Taylor (pictured right) has stepped down after 32 years at the helm of the group and will move into an advisory role on projects such as supporting a programme of capital investment, including extensions to existing homes in Highland and Moray and the development of a new 60-bed care home in Turriff.

Susie Mackenzie (pictured, left), who joined Parklands in 2023 as finance director, is taking over as MD. Other changes to the senior leadership team include the promotion of quality improvement lead Jacqui Ferguson to operations director, replacing Elaine Taylor, who has left the business.

Meanwhile, training and development manager Lindsey Anderson is taking on an expanded role covering quality standards and training, while experienced finance leader Danielle McPherson has joined as head of finance.

08 July 2026

West Wales operator adds second Pembrokeshire home

A local operator has expanded its West Wales footprint with the acquisition of a 14 bed  care home in Milford Haven.

Rostley Care Home supports older people including those with dementia and neurological conditions, and was sold off-market through Oliver McCarthy at Christie & Co.

The deal is Robin Appathurai’s second acqusition in the Pembrokeshire region, following his acqusition of Bush House Care Home in Pembroke in 2024.

Previous owners Jayne Anderson and Sarah Kempson, who have operated Rostley since 2006, plan to exit the sector to focus on semi-retirement.

The price was undisclosed.

01 July 2026

Hallmark takes over Loveday Esher luxury home just months after launch

Hallmark has taken over a new Loveday care home less than 12 months after it opened.

The facility, now renamed Hallmark Esher Residences, comprises a 37-bed Grade II listed building alongside a newly developed 20-bed facility. The original residence, set within landscaped grounds in Esher, opened in July last year as Loveday’s first site outside central London.

Residents will continue to receive care services during the change in operations, and all existing staff will remain in place to support continuity, Hallmark said in a statement.

At the time of writing, neither Loveday nor Hallmark were able to comment on whether the Esher facility had full occupancy at the time of sale.

However, they said in a statement that "the move reflects strategic decisions by both organisations and supports the long-term ambitions of each business.

"For Hallmark, it represents the first step in its planned expansion," the statement continued, adding, "for Loveday, it enables the business to reinvest in its long-term growth plans at pace.

"The transition is, therefore, not a reflection of the home's performance or prospects, but of two organisations whose strategic ambitions simply aligned at the right time."

Loveday Esher was developed as a premium residential and dementia care setting, with facilities including purpose-designed living spaces and access to extensive gardens.

The provider’s founder and chair Laurence Geller told TCHE  at the opening party last year that the site formed part of it’s strategy to expand beyond its London base while maintaining its focus on high-acuity and hospitality-led care models.

It was not clear at time of writing why it had decided to sell the home just months later.

Hallmark Luxury Care Homes adds the Esher scheme to its existing portfolio of 22 homes across the UK. It describes the acquisition as the first step in a wider growth programme, with the operator targeting the addition or development of 15  further homes by 2030.

25 June 2026

Oakwood Care Group expands Welsh portfolio with Development Bank backing

Oakwood Care Group has completed the acquisition of three care homes in South Wales, supported by a multi‑million‑pound funding package from the Development Bank of Wales.

The transaction, backed through the £500m Wales Flexible Investment Fund, sees Oakwood acquire Forest Gate Healthcare, adding 105 beds across three services: Oakdale Manor (31 beds) in Blackwood, Ty Ross Care Home (38 beds) in Treorchy and Woffington House (36 beds) in Tredegar.

The deal increases the group’s operational footprint to five homes across Wales, expanding its workforce from around 70 to approximately 200 staff. This includes existing services in Pembrokeshire and Powys, which provide residential, nursing and dementia care within largely rural and semi‑rural communities.

The deal is the latest tranch of funding to the group from the Development Bank of Wales, which supported the group to make its first two acquisitions over the last two years.

The group was advised by JCP Solicitors’ corporate and commercial property teams on the acquisition.

Oakwood chief executive Kuljit Grewal said the “investment places us in a strong position to continue supporting communities and strengthening care provision across Wales”.

18 June 2026

New operator expands South West footprint

New operator Care Legacy South West has added its third acquisition this year to its care home portfolio. The 26-bed, two-storey conversion Lyme Bay View near Seaton is rated good and has been run by M&J Care Homes since 2008.

The firm bought its first two homes - Tregenna House in Camborne and Little Trefewha in Praze‑an‑Beeble- earlier this year.

The home was sold for an undisclosed amount and was handled by Christies & Co.

10 June 2026

Glasgow-based care group doubles home footprint

Keane Premier Group has acquired fellow family-run Scottish care home group Priority Care group, doubling its size from six to 12 homes, according to a statement from Christie’s & Co, which handled the sale.

The acquisition will add six care homes in Dundee, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and Arbroath to Keane’s existing portfolio of six homes across south Lanarkshire, comprising 233 beds offering care for older people and specialist learning disability for working age adults.

The acquisition of the group for an undisclosed sum - which has 200 people living in its homes and a workforce of almost 300 – was described by Keane Premier Group managing director Ryan Smith as a “game-changing acquisition for Keane that will double the size of our business, increase our footprint into new regions across Scotland…while offering us the scale to invest in homes and staff working in the sector.”

03 June 2026

Northern Ireland care group ordered to freeze takeover

The Competition and Markets Authority has ordered Healthcare Ireland Group to freeze its takeover of Hutchinson Care Homes while it looks into whether the acquisition could be anti-competitive and launch an inquiry.

The Northern Ireland-based group, which runs 38 homes across the region, announced its acquisition of the family-owned care group in December, adding its six homes across County Antrim to its portfolio.

The order means the businesses should be run as separate entities, with no changes to organisational structure, management or assets made while the CMA's 'initial enforcement order' is in place.

The CMA has not yet revealed when it expects to decide whether to launch an inquiry.

The group announced in March it had added 13 homes across Armagh, Ballymena, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Cookstown, Dungannon, Dunmurry, Enniskillen, Glengormley, Magherafelt and Portstewart via the acquisition of the Kathryn care home group, which it said supports hundreds of residents through a range of care, including residential, nursing, dementia, and respite.

20 May 2026

Care home sales round-up

A 29 bed  West Yorkshire care home rated good by the Care quality Commission has been bought by established provider Logini Group, which owns five homes across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, it has emerged.

The sale of the home previously owned by Croft Care Homes, which owns two other facilities, to Logini Care, which has a further five in its portfolio, was handled by Christie & Co..

Meanwhile a 12-bed converted period home providing specialist dementia care in Newton Abbott has been sold by longstanding owners to a first-time care operator Raji Rajan and wife Shaji Karoth Valappil, along with their son, Kannan Karoth, who all have a 'wealth of hands-on experience within the sector', according to Christie & Co, which handled the sale.

05 May 2026

Specialist US property firm invests £42m in UK care homes

A US-listed health and care property company has bought four care homes in the north and midlands for £42m, taking its UK health and care facility footprint to 138.

CareTrust Reit said the new homes comprised 202 beds offering 'high acuity' mental health and specialist care services. It added it would acquire a fifth home for approximately £9 million as part of a 'second tranche of the transaction following regulatory and other approvals'.

The firm entered the UK market a year ago after acquiring London-listed health and care property company Care REIT plc, adding 132 UK care homes (around 7,500 beds) to its US portfolio of over 200 homes across 25 States.

22 April 2026

Kara Healthcare grows to nine homes with 65 bed Notts takeover

A care home operator with facilities across the midlands and north east has added a ninth home to its portfolio with the acquisition of Beechwood House Care Home from care property investment group Target Healthcare REIT Ltd.  In a post announcing the takeover of the ‘65 wet room bed’ on social media, Kara Healthcare CEO Nitesh Somani said the group’s growth ambition “isn’t about numbers,  it’s about creating more homes where people feel safe, valued, and cared for and where teams truly belong.”