NEARLY 250 of the care homes run by the financially troubled company Southern Cross could be taken over by a healthcare firm run by Chai Patel, the former chief executive of the Priory clinic.

Mr Patel’s firm Court Cavendish plans to form a new company to run the homes in conjunction with NHP, the largest of Southern Cross’s landlords.

Southern Cross has hit the headlines in recent months after running into difficulties over paying its rent bills.

There are six Southern Cross-operated homes in Oxfordshire: Brookfield in Greater Leys, Oxford; the Albany in Headington, Oxford; the Crown in Harwell; the Triangle in Wheatley; Longlands in Cassington; and Mill House in Witney.

Between them they offer accommodation for 223 people.

NHP owns 249 of the 752 Southern Cross care homes around the country but it refused last night to say whether any of them were in Oxfordshire.

NHP director Paul Thompson said: “It’s the start of a new era of stability, planning and good governance.

“We recognise the great concern and uncertainty caused by recent events, and hence 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.”

The new company will rely on existing Southern Cross staff and its administrative structure to manage the 249 homes.

The operation of another 250 Southern Cross-run nursing and care homes will be taken over by their landlords, with the future of the others yet to be decided.

An Oxfordshire County Council official said that contingency plans were still in place to move pensioners whose care fees are paid by the council to other homes if any of the six Southern Cross homes in the county closed during the restructuring of the company.

Southern Cross’s management announced on Monday last week that it would cease to operate the homes.