Care home giant HC-One sees costs rising due to PPE and extra staff

The UK’s largest care home provider HC-One said costs were rising due to Covid-19 crisis but welcomed Government moves to funnel more money into the sector.

Care homes have come under strain due to the costs of having to buy more PPE to protect staff from infection. Higher levels of staff than normal are also absent due to self-isolation, meaning homes must rely on more expensive agency workers to fill gaps.

HC-One, which has 300 nursing homes around the country and was co-founded by Chai Patel, is the flagship operator in the industry.

A spokesperson said PPE costs have “increased significantly”, driven by a higher usage rate of PPE as homes tackle outbreaks, after being contacted for comment by the Evening Standard.

“With some colleagues unable to work we’ve also been more reliant on agency workers, and the increased costs of using them,” they said.

Four Seasons, the UK’s second largest operator which recently went through a complex restructuring, declined to comment. It is expected to discuss performance when it updates debt investors next month.

The Government has unveiled £1.6 billion of funding for councils, who partially fund care homes, to help ease the strain on the sector. HC-One welcomed the move.

“The epidemic has highlighted the importance of the care sector to the NHS and to society more broadly,” it said.