PM faces grilling after Four Seasons default

BORIS JOHNSON faces questions from MPS next week over the parlous state of the care home sector as the future of Four Seasons and its 16,000 residents hangs in the balance.

Four Seasons Health Care, the UK’S second-largest care home provider, began withholding rent to landlords this month after its parent companies fell into administration in April.

Four Seasons has called in administrators Alvarez & Marsal to find a buyer but is struggling to control costs amid a mounting £625m debt pile.

MPS warned that more care homes could suffer a similar fate if the Government did not intervene.

Sarah Wollaston MP, chairman of the health and social care and liaison committees, said she will question Mr Johnson over his plans to address these concerns during a hearing on Thursday.

“It’s been an abject failure of the Government to move forward on this and Boris Johnson can expect to be answering questions about this when he comes to the liaison committee next week,” Ms Wollaston said.

“It can’t just be platitudes. He has to show that he understands the scale of the problem.”

In addition to Four Seasons’ debts, experts are worried about funding for its vulnerable residents.

Most are paid for by local authorities, and their care generally costs less than that of self-funding residents.

The average weekly fee for a selffunding resident in 2016 was £846, equivalent to almost £44,000 a year, according to a study by the Competition and Markets Authority.

A Government spokesman said: “We’ve been clear on our commitment to fixing this issue – it is our priority to ensure everyone receives the dignity and security they deserve. We will bring forward substantive proposals in due course.”