Biggest Southern Cross landlord to set up firm to run homes

NHP, the biggest landlord of failing care home provider Southern Cross, confirmed today it will pump £14m into a new company to run 249 of its properties.

NHP has brought in specialist health and social care turnaround firm Court Cavendish, headed by former Priory boss Dr Chai Patel, to handle the launch and “provide the certainty and continuity of care that all agree is crucial”.

In a statement today, NHP said the new company would continue to rely on existing Southern Cross staff to manage its homes and back office services.

Court Cavendish had previously been hired as an adviser to NHP.

“It is the start of a new era of stability, planning and good governance,” said NHP director Paul Thompson. “We recognise the great concern and uncertainty caused by recent events, and are committed to doing all that it takes to ensure continuity of care. Lessons have to be taken on board from what happened at Southern Cross.”

Patel added: “We hope that this announcement is the start of bringing to an end the uncertainty that residents, their families and staff in all the homes have had to endure over the past few months.

“In the coming years we will work towards building a high-quality integrated health and care services company. The country cannot afford another company to go through what happened to Southern Cross.”

Last week Southern Cross confirmed that 250 other homes will be run by landlords which are also operators.

This leaves the fate of about 250 care homes unaccounted for, though it is understood that the Southern Cross landlords’ committee is developing a plan for them.

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