The Competition and Markets Authority ((CMA) inquiry will also probe “merger situations” between Care UK and Aria Care, and Apex Healthcare Properties and HC-One.
Views on the takeover of several UK care homes by US elderly care housing giant Welltower are being sought by the Competition and Markets Authority for a second time, it has announced this week.
The CMA announced in January that it was investigating completed acquisitions by Welltower of over 600 active care homes managed by Barchester, HC-One, Aria Care (including Asprey) and Danforth Care, and a further undisclosed number of care homes with planning permission to proceed with construction.
The official inquiry has been launched this week alongside a second invitation to comment (ITC), which will close in two weeks’ time on 23rd March ‘giving all interested third parties a further opportunity to submit views about the impact that any or all of the transactions described….could have on competition in the UK’.
An initial ITC ran over two weeks at the end of January, closing on the 2nd of February.
The CMA also said it is also investigating whether the Welltower takeovers ‘gave rise to relevant merger situations between Care UK Care Services Limited and Aria Care (either on their own or together with Welltower) and between Apex Healthcare Properties and HC-One (either on their own or together with Welltower)’.
A decision is currently set to be issued by a deadline of 8th May, although the CMA said this could be extended.
Welltower is a US property management firm, valued at $145.9bn (£108.38bn), which focuses on ‘rental housing for ageing seniors in the US, UK and Canada’ with a ‘portfolio of 2,500+ seniors and wellness housing communities’, according to its website.
