November 2016
Featured in this insight: Central government & non-department public bodies, Local & regional government, Medical & healthcare
25 per cent of care home beds are in jeopardy: According to what leading care sector companies told the Department of Health, 25 per cent (approximately 100,000) of care home beds in England will be at risk of closure unless the UK Government bails out the health and social care sector in the chancellor’s autumn statement.
The care companies also claimed that approximately 50 per cent of all care homes are losing money as a result of the fees, which local councils pay for state-funded residents, falling below the levels required to break-even.
Recently there have been mounting worries that the National Health Service would not be able to cope with the aftermath of a social care breakdown, whereby the elderly and disabled would be unable to access care home beds and resort to hospital’s A&E departments for help.
In the past, warnings have suggested that 10 per cent of England’s care home beds may be in jeopardy; however, it has been claimed that the industry’s leaders have told the health department privately that 50,000 to 100,000 beds in England are likely to close by 2020 unless the council’s fees increase dramatically. On top of this, home care providers have claimed that 90 per cent of councils are paying below the minimum required to sustain their services.
Norfolk Council has reported to the Commons communities and the local government select committee that seven nursing homes in the county had either closed or been converted to residential care in the last 16 months, closing 160 beds. As a result of this, the council has had to find alternative homes for 114 people.
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