Medway (ICRS)
HCRG Care Group is set to deliver the Intermediate Care and Reablement Service (ICRS) across Medway from October 2026. The local authority wrote that they awarded the contract to us for our bid’s quality and price, and its innovative Medway-focussed solutions to deliver on commissioning priorities.
Medway (ICRS)
HCRG Care Group is delivering the Intermediate Care and Reablement Service (ICRS) across Medway from October 2026, combining two previously separate pathways to better support people as they leave hospital and move care closer to home. The plan is set to deliver improved quality in services to reduce bed days and bed blocking, relieving the strain on the local hospital.
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Services include:
- Home-based rehabilitation
- Bedded rehabilitation
This service is led by
Debbie Lindon-Taylor
Regional Director
A former senior nurse with 30 yrs+ clinical experience, Debbie has a strong instinct for what works in healthcare strategy and in leading service redesign. She’s now Regional Director of Medway’s ICRS service and of adult community services in Kent and Medway, enabling an upfront investment in transformation to happen fast.
We’ll be helping people to be independent for longer, relieving the burden on the NHS in Medway
A critical focus of the contract is to tackle “bed blocking”, instances where service users are declared “no longer fit to reside” at home. Reducing bed days in hospital will also be vital.
This is going to be essential to changing community health for good in the area – easing the significant pressure that has been on Medway Maritime Hospital.
We’re combining two previously separate pathways
Previously managed by separate teams, the first pathway rehabilitates patients returning home from hospital with occupational therapy. The second rehabilitates those patients in a bedded setting for six weeks, before returning home or moving into a place with longer term arrangements.
By bringing these together into a complete pathway, the previously separate teams can work together as one, and resources can be allocated where they’re needed most.
We’ll be seeking further support from the voluntary sector
Building partnerships like the ongoing one with The Strode Park Foundation and its Platters Farm Lodge, which offers a supportive environment for rehabilitation. We’ll also be bringing the voluntary sector more intentionally into triage.
Along with cost, quality was a key aspect of why HCRG’s bid was chosen
The new contractual model unifies voluntary and statutory organisations, and is designed to improve reporting and quality for all service users, including those with protected characteristics.
HCRG Care Group’s Quality Promise and Medway-focussed solutions gave the local council confidence that we could deliver on this improved quality. As part of our commitment to quality there will be a greener use of energy, with an overall planned reduction of 5.6 tonnes of carbon over 9 years.
HCRG has a history of being responsive to the Medway local authority’s needs
As part of reducing hospital admissions and supporting people closer to home, we’ve stepped in the last two winters to support Medway care homes under the council’s winter funding – calling 12 Medway care homes twice a day to support however needed.
This history of responsiveness with the local authority is enabling us to explore what else is possible beyond what’s already agreed in the ICRS contract.
Visit service websiteWhat’s happening at a glance
Running two previously separate pathways as one
Focus on relieving burden on local hospital
Aligning with the voluntary sector and bringing it further into triage
Delivering on our Quality Promise
Exploring what’s possible beyond the contract specification