Cera has become the UK’s largest domiciliary care provider following the acquisition of First City Nursing Services Limited – expanding its national operations and reinforcing its leadership position in shaping the future of the home care sector.
Cera will take over ownership of First City Nursing, a domiciliary care provider operating across the South of England, with the company’s existing leaders continuing to oversee day-to-day operations.
The news follows Cera’s recent acquisition of Care at Home Services – one of the largest home care acquisitions of 2025. Together, First City Nursing and Care at Home Services add more than 7,100 service users and over 2,450 carers to Cera’s national network, strengthening its workforce and deepening its geographical footprint across the UK.
Combined, these acquisitions cement Cera’s position as the UK’s largest domiciliary care provider, with the company now working with more than 100 Local Governments and two-thirds of NHS Integrated Care Systems.
Cera has broadened its services beyond technology-enabled home care to include nursing, complex care, live-in care, and learning disabilities care. The company recently expanded into healthcare research partnerships, as well as licensing its proprietary technology to other care providers. Collectively, Cera’s non-home care service lines now make up almost one-fifth of its overall business.
Matt Ashley, Chief Financial Officer at Cera, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the First City Nursing team to Cera. They’ve built an excellent reputation for delivering high-quality, person-centred care across their communities. Each of our recent acquisitions has strengthened not just our reach and scale, now as the UK’s largest domiciliary care provider – but also our ability to innovate, shaping a more sustainable, preventative and connected future for home care.”
Stephen Trowbridge MBE, Managing Director of First City Nursing, said: “We’re excited to be joining Cera at such a pivotal time for the company and the wider care sector. Cera’s scale, technology and investment in its workforce will help strengthen the services we’ve built and ensure our service users and carers continue to thrive.”
Across the UK, many private care providers are struggling to survive in the face of mounting challenges, including workforce shortages, high staff turnover, funding pressures and increasing demand for care as the population ages. Cera’s scale, infrastructure, technology, and sector partnerships allow it to safeguard services – ensuring care, employment and local relationships are preserved. Cera continues to welcome confidential conversations with care business owners looking to exit their business.
For an informal and confidential discussion about their future plans, business owners should contact the Cera Acquisition Team at acquisitions@ceracare.co.uk or visit the Cera HQ website for more information.
Image depicts the Cera logo.