Four Seasons To Hand Over 57 Care Homes

Four Seasons Health Care has agreed to hand over 57 leasehold homes to four new operators as part of its continuing restructuring process.

Of the 57, 44 are current operating care homes with 13 closed homes owned by Healthcare Property Holdings, and will be taken over by operators Roseberry Care Centres, Belsize Healthcare, Harbour Healthcare and Barchester Healthcare.

Four Seasons withdrew rent from 135 leasehold properties in October as part of the discussions with landlords.

A deal to sell 185 freehold properties to major creditor H/2 Capital failed in October. In a statement, Four Seasons said that the group is continuing to restructure and remains in discussions with landlords about its leasehold estate.

‘The priority of all parties remains the continuity of care for all residents and employees and the group is working closely with the relevant regulators, the new operators and the landlord to ensure that the migration of these homes to new operators is seamless,’ it added.

Four Seasons Health Care also announced it is merging its Four Seasons and brighterkind businesses into a single management team and support structure, to create one care home business.

Jeremy Richardson, the current chief executive officer of the brighterkind business, has been appointed as the CEO of the unified care home business and has taken up his new role with immediate effect.

A spokesperson for Barchester Healthcare confirmed that the group had taken over 14 of the homes. Last month, Barchester Healthcare bought 24 brighterkind care homes, which sat outside the main Four Seasons group.