I do not trust Reform's U turn reassurances that it has no plans to close care homes (‘Homes are saved from axe’. Leader and Times, January 23rd 2026).

What about keeping day centres open, which are important for supporting isolated elderly and vulnerable people? Will Lancashire County Council give us the same reassurance not to close them?

Under the Care Act 2014, county councils have a statutory duty to meet the eligible care and support needs of adults in their area, but they are not legally required to directly provide or run care homes or day centres themselves.

If a council decides to close them, they must still fulfill their overall duty to ensure such services exist elsewhere.

This loophole in the Care Act could let the council sell off/privatise these services to companies to make a profit.

How many private investors are there who would take the risk of operating services which would have to be subsidised or users charged large fees, which they cannot afford, in order to balance the books and make a profit?

We should view the county council review of care homes and day centres in the context of Reform UK's national policy to privatise Health and Social Care with a US styled personal insurance system, which the poor could not afford to pay into.

So much for the founding NHS (Health and Social Care) principle that the service is free at the point of delivery, and is available to everyone based on their clinical need rather than ability to pay.

Dave Penney

Highfield, Keighley Road, Colne