Somerset Care leads raft of care home closure announcements

Somerset Care has become the latest operator to announce a care home closure this week as rising costs and an ageing housing stock take their toll on the sector.

The south west care home provider said it could no longer make a viable business case for Popham Court in Wellington with it requiring substantial investment in order to become fit for purpose.

Somerset Care said the service had been making a loss for a number of years due to rising costs, including the National Living Wage, pensions, regulatory fees, the apprenticeship levy, insurance and general inflation – without a corresponding increase in income.

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CEO Dr Jane Townson said: “We are very sorry this decision has been necessary and our goal now is to ensure all residents are safely transferred to their new homes well before the final closure date of 30 November 2018.”

The news was the latest in a series of care home closure announcements this week in the face of rising pressures, which included:

(Administration): Bertinaley Care Limited, which owns three homes in Scotland as well as one in Surrey;

(Closure): Council run Lower Ridge Care Home in Burnley;

(Closure): Drumclay Care Home in Enniskillen part of the Saville group of nursing homes;

(Closure): Holme Bank in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton; and

(Closure): Muirhead Care Home in Alford, Aberdeenshire