ONE of England’s biggest home care providers, which has a base in Keighley, faces “credible risk of service disruption”, inspectors have warned.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised concerns that Allied Healthcare may not be able to continue operating after November 30.

The company provides care services across 84 councils. It’s Keighley base is at Orchard House in the Aire Valley Business Centre.

Allied Healthcare’s services include home care, such as help with cleaning and shopping, getting showered and dressed, preparing meals, and managing medication.

CQC said it has written to 84 English local authorities who commission some sort of care services through Allied Healthcare to notify them of its concerns. But Allied Healthcare issued reassurances that its operations are “sustainable and safe”.

CQC said Allied Healthcare announced it would apply for a Company Voluntary Arrangement in April to restructure its debts.

While Allied Healthcare has confirmed funding until the end of the month, CQC said it has not received “adequate assurance” the company can continue operating from December.

CQC chief inspector of hospitals, Andrea Sutcliffe, said: “We’ve not received adequate assurance Allied Healthcare has, or will have, ongoing funding or new investment necessary to ensure it can operate beyond November 30 2018.

“We’ve encouraged them to provide a realistic financially-backed plan to support the future sustainability of the business, but they’ve failed to provide adequate assurance regarding future funding.

“It’s now our legal duty to notify local authorities where Allied Healthcare is contracted to deliver home care services, that we consider there to be a credible risk of service disruption.”

She added local authorities are bound to ensure continuity of care for everyone using an adult social care services in the event it “ceases to operate”.

Allied Healthcare’s spokesman responded: “We’re surprised and deeply disappointed by CQC Market Oversight’s decision, which we regard as premature and unwarranted.

“We’ve demonstrated that Allied Healthcare’s operations are sustainable and safe, that we’ve secured a potential replacement of our credit facility, that there’s no risk to continuity of care, and that we have a long-term business plan in place that will continue to deliver quality care.

“The CQC has disregarded these assurances in spite of the robust evidence we’ve provided. By issuing a Stage 6 notification, the CQC is putting significant pressure on already stretched and pressurised local authorities and clinical commissioning groups.

“Continuity of quality care is our number one priority.”