Swindon Intermediate Care Centre

Updated 24 June 2026

HCRG Care Group is a large independent provider of community health and social care services in England. They deliver services that are commissioned by the NHS (Integrated Care Boards/ NHS England) and local authorities.

We assessed Swindon Intermediate Care Centre (SWICC) from 27 to 29 April 2026.

HCRG took over SWICC services from Great Western Hospital in April 2025 and did not have a rating under this provider prior to this assessment.

SWICC was registered by CQC on 4 April 2025 to deliver the regulated activities: Diagnostic and screening procedures, and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

We visited 2 inpatient wards as part of the assessment: Orchard Ward and Forest Ward.

The inpatient rehabilitation wards provide specialised care for adults who require further support following an episode in an acute hospital, or for those who need additional assistance without requiring admission to an acute facility. Both wards accept patients under two main admission pathways:

• Step-up admissions: These are patients who need extra support but do not require an acute hospital admission.
• Step-down admissions: These patients are transferred from an acute hospital to continue their rehabilitation in a specialised setting.

Orchard Ward comprises 30 beds and offers intermediate care through short-term, goal-oriented programmes. This is designed for patients who are medically stable but require rehabilitation, reablement, or support before returning home.

Forest Ward comprises 30 beds and adopts a multidisciplinary approach for patients on the stroke pathway. Admissions to Forest Ward are from acute hospitals, enabling ongoing specialist rehabilitation following a stroke.

Both wards deliver services through nurse-led multidisciplinary teams. These teams include therapists, support staff, and medical professionals who work collaboratively to facilitate patient recovery and plan for discharge.

At this assessment, we assessed 1 assessment service group; community health inpatient services.

We assessed all quality statements.

Our rating of the service at this assessment was good.

Updated 26 March 2026

Date of Assessment: 27 to 29 April 2026.

This assessment focused solely on two inpatient rehabilitation wards located at Swindon Intermediate Care Centre (SWICC), which together offer 60 inpatient beds.

Our assessment was a comprehensive inspection of all key questions.

Our assessment was announced (staff knew we were coming) to ensure everyone we needed to speak with was available. This was the first time we had assessed this service since it was taken over by HCRG in April 2025. During our assessment, we visited both wards and spoke with 22 staff, including doctors, nurses, therapists, domestic staff and managers and reviewed 7 patient records.

Mental Capacity Act Compliance

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, in particular the five statutory principles.

The provider had a policy on the Mental Capacity Act, including deprivation of liberty safeguards. Staff were aware of the policy and had access to it.

Staff knew where to get advice from within the provider regarding the Mental Capacity Act, including deprivation of liberty safeguards.

Staff took all practical steps to enable people to make their own decisions

For people who might have impaired mental capacity, staff assessed and recorded capacity to consent appropriately. They did this on a decision-specific basis with regard to significant decisions.

When people lacked capacity, staff made decisions in their best interests, recognising the importance of the person’s wishes, feelings, culture and history.