Offer Update

RNS Number:1829T
Cardinal Health, Inc.
12 December 2003

For immediate release

                                                                12 December 2003


NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES,
                           AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN

                             Recommended Cash Offer
                                       by
                           Credit Suisse First Boston
        on behalf of a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health, Inc.
                                       for
                            The Intercare Group plc


                 OFFER BECOMES UNCONDITIONAL AS TO ACCEPTANCES

Cardinal Health, Inc. ("Cardinal Health") announces that, as at 3.00 p.m.
(London time) on 11 December 2003, valid acceptances of the recommended cash
offer (the "Offer") for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of The
Intercare Group plc ("Intercare"), announced on 29 October 2003, made by Credit
Suisse First Boston on behalf of Cardinal Health U.K. 418 Limited (the "Offeror
"), had been received in respect of, in aggregate, 75,225,081 Intercare Shares
representing approximately 90.18 per cent. of the existing issued share capital
of Intercare. Accordingly, the Offer has become unconditional as to acceptances.
The Offer will remain open for acceptance until further notice.

Prior to the announcement of the Offer on 29 October 2003, Cardinal Health had
received irrevocable undertakings to accept (or procure the acceptance of) the
Offer from the Intercare Directors and their spouses in respect of their own
beneficial holdings of, in aggregate, 234,399 Intercare Shares, representing
approximately 0.28 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of Intercare.
Cardinal Health had also received irrevocable undertakings from certain
institutional shareholders in respect of 22,097,806 Intercare Shares,
representing approximately 26.5 per cent. of the existing issued share capital
of Intercare. Valid acceptances have been received in respect of 22,128,042 of
these Intercare Shares that are the subject of irrevocable undertakings and are
included in the total number of valid acceptances referred to above.

The Offer remains conditional, inter alia, on the receipt of competition
clearance and regulatory approvals.

The Offer was notified to the Directorate General for Competition at the
European Commission (the "Commission") under Council Regulation 4064/89 on 14
November 2003.  The period for consideration of that notification will expire on
17 December 2003, by which date a decision is expected as to whether the
Commission considers the Offer to be compatible with the common market.

Neither Cardinal Health, nor any persons acting, or deemed to be acting in
concert with Cardinal Health, held any Intercare Shares (or rights over any
Intercare Shares) prior to the Offer Period and neither Cardinal Health nor any
persons acting, or deemed to be acting in concert with Cardinal Health, have
acquired or agreed to acquire any Intercare Shares (or rights over any Intercare
Shares) since the commencement of the Offer Period.

Forms of Acceptance not yet returned should be completed and returned in
accordance with the instructions set out in the Offer Document and in the Form
of Acceptance so as to be received as soon as possible. Not less than 14 days
notice in writing will be given prior to the closing of the Offer to those
Intercare Shareholders who have not accepted the Offer.

The Offer remains subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Offer
Document.

Terms used in this announcement have the same meanings as in the Offer Document
dated 1 November 2003.

Enquiries:

Credit Suisse First Boston      Stuart Upcraft   Tel: + (44) 20 7888 8888
                                Zachary Brech

Capita IRG (receiving agent)                     Tel: [phone]

                                                 (or [phone] if outside
                                                  the UK)

Unless otherwise determined by Cardinal Health, the Offer is not being made,
directly or indirectly, in or into any Restricted Jurisdiction and the Offer
will not be capable of acceptance from or within any Restricted Jurisdiction.
Accordingly, copies of this announcement are not being, and must not be,
directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in,
into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction and persons receiving this announcement
(including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise
distribute or send it in, into or from such jurisdictions as doing so may
invalidate any purported acceptance of the Offer.  Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Cardinal Health will retain the right to permit the Offer to be
accepted and any sale of securities pursuant to the Offer to be completed if, in
its sole discretion, it is satisfied that the transaction in question can be
undertaken in compliance with applicable law and regulation.

Credit Suisse First Boston, which is regulated by the Financial Services
Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser to the Offeror
and Cardinal Health and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be
responsible to anyone other than the Offeror and Cardinal Health for providing
the protections afforded to clients of Credit Suisse First Boston, nor for
providing advice in relation to the Offer.

This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase any
securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. No offer is
being made in the United States.




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            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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