IN the wake of the collapse of the Darlington-based care home company Southern Cross last year, The Independent newspaper recently reported that Britain’s biggest private care home owners have combined debts of nearly £5bn.

This must raise fresh concerns about the financial health of private companies looking after thousands of elderly and disabled people.

The Government has failed to introduce regulation forcing care home providers to be more transparent about their finances.

Most leading care home owners the Tories are trying to help have complex structures and loan arrangements, making it difficult to pierce their corporate veil and properly assess underlying risks.

Scrutiny of five of the biggest firms is made more difficult because they are owned by parent companies based in secretive offshore tax havens.

Hands off, Mr Cameron – we all felt for you when you told us how much your little boy’s care by your NHS hospital meant before his sad death.

It just isn’t worth gambling with these essential life supporting national services, with your creeping NHS take over policies for your private profit-making friends.

By all means help the NHS to be more financially efficient.

George Appleby, York.