Landlord pledges to keep Southern Cross Coventry homes open

[dutchman]

One of the biggest care home providers at care home operator Southern Cross has agreed to keep all its homes open – including 5 in Coventry.



Southern Cross confirmed a week ago it was folding because of massive financial problems.

The firm’s 752 care homes are now due to revert back to the landlords who own the group’s properties.

Today one of the biggest, NHP, confirmed it would take back control of its 250 homes and set up on its own.

It has five sites in Coventry: Victoria Gardens, Victoria Manor, Victoria Mews, Victoria Park and Brandon House.

The future of the remaining four care homes in Coventry and Warwickshire remains uncertain.

Shareholders appear to have lost their entire investment in Southern Cross, after the company struggled to pay rent on its homes across the UK.

A number of landlords, who are also operators of care homes, have indicated they intend to take over the running or have found new operators and will start to transfer operations shortly.

Some may require operational management and back office support, Southern Cross said, but once the restructuring period is over it anticipates it will “cease to be an operator of homes”.

Shareholders will get nothing back, it added, with shares suspended on the Stock Exchange.

Chief executive Jamie Buchan said: “My objective, and that of my team, is to continue to provide excellent care to every resident and to manage the programme of transition professionally.

“All 44,000 staff can take pride from the significant operational turnaround and improvements in care delivery which have been achieved over the past two years.”