Cornwall Council and NHS Kernow said this morning that they have "taken immediate action" to ensure that residents in Cornwall receiving care from Allied Healthcare continue to have their needs met with no disruption.

It was announced yesterday that Allied Healthcare, which provides care in people's homes all over the country, including Cornwall, will be selling or transitioning care and support services on a regional or contract-by-contract basis.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: "Our priority is ensuring those in need of care will continue to receive it. A plan has been put into immediate effect which means that people will still have their personal care delivered to them in their homes as they normally would.

"Members of Allied Healthcare staff are being supported by the Council to be transferred to another agency wherever possible."

They added that the council was making sure that everyone affected was kept informed about the situation.

Anyone in Cornwall who receives care from Allied Healthcare and who has any concerns can call the council on 0300 1234 100.

It comes after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued a letter to councils on November 6, advising them of a "credible risk of service disruption" because of the "possible failure" of the home care supplier Allied Healthcare.

According to information on the CQC's website, so-called Stage 6 notifications are issued as the final stage in a review of a provider's finances and quality, and indicate the "highest level of risk" that business failure is likely and a provider is unlikely to be able to continue to provide one or more services. 

A spokesperson for Allied Healthcare said continuity of care as its "number one priority." 

He said: “The Stage 6 notification has negatively impacted Allied Healthcare, leading a number of customers to transfer care services to alternative providers, and disrupting staff retention and recruitment.

“These developments have intensified the impact of the challenging environment within which we operate and come immediately prior to the Christmas period, when pressures on care providers are at their highest. This has also meant that we have had to re-evaluate our long-term business plan.

“We are therefore actively exploring a range of options in order to minimise disruption to continuity of care, including the sale or transition of care and support services on a regional or contract-by-contract basis to alternative providers best placed to deliver care at a local level.

"Such sales or transitions will involve the transfer of staff. This process will be conducted in close cooperation with our customers.

“We continue to trade safely while this process is underway. RBS as our existing lender has agreed to extend our current credit line by up to three weeks beyond November 30, enabling us to deliver safe continuity of care whilst we explore and implement these options.

“We will work closely with the CQC and all commissioners of care to ensure that there is minimal disruption to the care that we provide across the UK whilst this transition takes place. Continuity of care is our number one priority.”