LONDON'S CARE HOMES CRISIS REACHING MELTDOWN

12.01.00am GMT Mon 29th Mar 2004

Simon has warned that London's care home sector is approaching meltdown

Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP today revealed a new survey of care home services across the capital that paints a disturbing picture of shortages of homes, beds and cash.

The survey undertaken of all 33 Boroughs was completed and returned by 62% (21) of them, and shows that:

· Average occupancy rates are running 50% higher than recommended levels

· Average fee levels are £21 a week below those demanded by residential homes and £33 below those demanded by nursing homes

· Around 40% of all care home placements are outside their local area with placements in Essex, Kent and the Shires commonplace

· 73% believe that they do not have enough care home places in their Borough

The survey follows on from figures published by the National Care Standard Commission that showed more than six in ten care homes in London failed to meet medication standards.

Simon Hughes said:-

"The care home sector in London is facing a crisis that is slowly reaching meltdown. With house prices soaring, and care home fees so low, care home owners are simply selling up and shipping out. This leaves many of the most vulnerable in our society being moved around in a morbid game of pass the parcel.

"Both Ministers and the Mayor have buried their heads in the sand. Older people are being placed in care homes that are further away from their families leading to distress and anxiety for many people across the capital."

ENDS

Simon Hughes asked these questions in his letter and the overall responses are set out below

Do you believe that local authority fee levels for care homes at the beginning of this financial year were too little?

Half of those responded thought their fee levels were too low

What are your current fee levels, and what are the average residential and nursing home fees currently charged by homes in your borough?

Current fee levels paid by Local Authorities ranged from £355 to £450 for residential and from £461 to £525 for nursing

Actual fee levels charged by homes ranged from £371 up to £450 for residential ranged from £460 to £580 for nursing

In the last financial year has your department had to place any older people in care homes outside your borough? If so, in the last financial year, how many, what percentage is this of the total, and how far away?

Average 210 per Borough were placed outside each borough each year at an average of 40%. Many Authorities cited places as far away as Kent, the Shires and Essex

Do you have enough care home places in your Borough? What are your borough's current occupancy rates?

Of the 15 Authorities that answered the Average occupancy rate was 95.5%. The recommended occupancy rate should never exceed 90% unless that sector is close to gridlock. Of the 15 who answered, 11 have not enough places, 4 do.

Boroughs that answered are

Barnet; Bexley; Brent; Camden; Corp. of London; Croydon; Ealing; Enfield; Haringey; Harrow; Havering; Hillingdon; Hounslow; Lambeth; Merton; Newham; Redbridge; Royal Kingston; Southwark; Sutton; Tower Hamlets; Waltham Forest; Wandsworth

Figures can be obtained for each of these by e-mail or calling Richard Stokoe 0207 227 1326. Please be aware that not every Borough that responded answered every question.