Barking, 16th March 2026 - Today, Care City, Feebris and Thames Freeport announced the launch of CarePort, a first-of-its-kind community health and care transformation initiative designed to improve health outcomes for people with complex care needs across the Thames Freeport area. Backed by a £500,000 investment from Thames Freeport, the scheme provides support at a grass-roots level to improve the health of people in the local community.

The 18-month programme brings together local authorities, care providers and digital innovators to deliver a more proactive model of healthcare. Using Feebris’ AI-powered platform, care workers can deliver proactive healthcare in people's homes - detecting early signs of deterioration and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.    

The Case for Change

Health and care services are under increasing strain from rising demand, especially as populations age and more people live with multiple long-term conditions. The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and London Borough of Havering are no exception, each seeing growth in the number of residents with complex health and social care needs. This trend poses significant challenges: more frequent hospital visits and emergencies, greater demand for home care packages, and escalating costs for councils and the NHS.

Demand is rising and the current model of care remains largely reactive, intervening only after someone’s health has deteriorated or a crisis has occurred. The case for more integrated, proactive care that helps people stay well at home is well established. Yet many local systems still operate with fragmented services that cannot effectively support people, particularly those with complex needs, to remain well at home.

In the current climate of budget and structural uncertainty, integrated care boards (ICBs) are finding it increasingly difficult to test and scale new care models. The CarePort project tackles this challenge head-on by bringing together health, social care and digital partners to design and implement anew, integrated model of care. It will transform service delivery through new digital infrastructure and support for care teams to adopt new ways of working, providing evidence and delivering financial benefits to support long-term sustainable health solutions.

Poor health limits people’s ability to take up work opportunities, training and education, and places long-term pressure on local public services. Improving population health at a grass-roots level is therefore essential to delivering inclusive growth across the Thames Freeport area.

Transforming Community Care

Building on previous successful pilots, the initiative will be rolled out across Havering and Barking & Dagenham, responding to the specific health and care pressures facing communities across the Thames Freeport area as it changes and grows, engaging:

●     1,800 individuals with complex care needs

●     50 care homes

●     1 Extra Care Service

●     15 domiciliary care providers

●     1 hospice

100 care workers trained in digital health monitoring will transform health outcomes for hundreds of local people. By integrating proactive digital health assessments into everyday care, CarePort aims to:

●     Reduce unplanned hospital admissions by 25%

●     Cut unplanned A&E visits and ambulance calls by 30%

●     Lower reablement package needs post-admission by 25%

●     Improve staff and client satisfaction to 85%

●     Generate evidence on costs and delivery that can inform future commissioning decisions locally and nationally.

Partners’ Perspectives

Matt Skinner, Chief Executive, Care City, said “CarePort is a powerful example of local collaboration driving national change. By combining digital innovation, workforce development and partnership working, we can deliver more personalised, proactive care that keeps people healthier for longer.”

Dr Elina Naydenova, CEO, Feebris, said “This collaboration enables care professionals to detect early health changes before they become crises. It’s a step towards a fairer, smarter health system that empowers carers with cutting-edge tools to keep people safe at home.”

Stuart Rimmer, Interim CEO, Thames Freeport, said: “Across the Thames Freeport area, growing and ageing communities are putting increasing pressure on health and care services. If people are to benefit from new jobs and investment, they also need support that helps them stay well and independent.

“That is why Thames Freeport is investing £500,000 in CarePort, bringing councils, care providers and digital innovators together to deliver a more proactive, community-based model of care that reduces avoidable hospital admissions and strengthens local care systems.”

CarePort, added “CarePort combines the best technological solutions with community-based care. Together with our partners, we are building a model for sustainable, integrated care that can be replicated across the UK.”

Supporting a Sustainable Future

The CarePort initiative also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing unnecessary travel and emergency call-outs, and supports financial sustainability for the care system through early intervention and prevention.

CarePort forms part of Thames Freeport’s wider commitment to investing in social infrastructure alongside skills, innovation and inward investment, ensuring growth is matched by healthier, more resilient communities.

Get Involved

Care homes, domiciliary care providers, and community partners interested in participating can contact the CarePort team to learn more about training, onboarding, and digital upskilling opportunities.

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