The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated one in seven privately-operated care homes as "poor" or "adequate" as the sector faces growing financial concerns.

The government's health services watchdog published its findings, based on the latest available data from April last year, and found that privately-run homes had one in seven rating badly while the figure was one in 11 in those homes run by local authorities or non-profit organisations.  Industry data shows that those working in private homes are generally paid lower wages and there is a higher staff turnover than in homes not run for profit.

The revelations come as Southern Cross, the country's biggest care home company with 30,000 residents, is in danger of financial collapse. It is believed that its financial problems stem from "misguided property deals" used to fund an expansion programme and now, it has until Wednesday to try and persuade its landlords to cut its rents.

A spokesman for the CQC, which has itself been the subject of financial problems, denied that a reduction in the number of inspections had reduced the commission's effectiveness. He said: "Our rise-based methodology is designed to enable us to spot warning signs that might indicate an emerging problem. We would rather secure improvements to a care home than close it down, which can cause great distress to the people who live there and reduce the capacity in the local market."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/elderhealth/8546864/One-in-seven-care-homes-rated-badly-by-watchdog-amid-industry-crisis.html