HC Deb 29 October 2002 vol 391 cc676-8
9. Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East)

If he will make a statement on the availability of care home places in the south-east. [75358]

The Minister of State, Department of Health (Jacqui Smith)

Department of Health figures show that, as of March 2001, there were 91,895 care home places in the south-east. Figures produced by the independent analysts Laing and Buisson suggested that occupancy levels in the southern home counties in March 2002 were 90.8 per cent. in residential homes, and 91.8 per cent. in nursing homes. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced to the House in July, the provision of an extra £1 billion a year in real terms for social services for older people by 2006 will ensure more support to help more people who need care in residential and nursing homes.

Dr. Lewis

You would never guess from that answer, Mr. Speaker, that between April 1998 and April of this year, 916 care home places have gone in Hampshire alone—just under 10 per cent. of the total. Is that not due largely to the unrealistic demands put on care homes through the Government's legislation of 2000? Is not the fact that the Government are backtracking on that legislation an admission that they got it badly wrong?

Jacqui Smith

I will keep it snappy. We listened to the concerns of care home owners and we acted on them. The hon. Gentleman cannot complain about the support that this Government are putting into care homes: increases in fees, funded by extra investment that he and his party failed to support.

Fiona Mactaggart (Slough)

There is a problem with getting GP cover for increasingly sick people in care homes in Slough, and persuading GPs to offer such cover without charging care homes substantial sums. Will the Minister encourage primary care trusts in areas where that problem exists to meet care homes to resource proper GP cover for care home residents?

Jacqui Smith

Yes, my hon. Friend makes an important point. Of course, people in care homes should have access to the general services of a GP in the same way as anybody else, but there may well be particular concerns in relation to care homes. My hon. Friend has assured me that we can consider this issue in relation to the contract, and her point about the role of PCTs in looking at the problems in particular localities is another important one, which we can consider.

Mr. Oliver Heald (North-East Hertfordshire)

The Minister may have acted, but does she not realise that she has acted far too late—two years too late—after 60,000 places have been lost in care homes? Has she seen the latest figures for emergency readmissions, which show that the number of patients aged over 75 who are readmitted within 28 days has risen to 8 per cent.? Does that not show that elderly patients—if they do have somewhere to go are being discharged too early because so many other patients cannot leave hospital? They cannot leave because, as a result of this Government's action, no care home places are available. It takes something special to have not only a waiting list to get into hospital, but a waiting list to get out.

Jacqui Smith

This Government's additional investment of £300 million over the past two years has helped to ensure a reduction of more than 1,200 in the number of older people who are stuck in hospital, and who, rightly, are better off out of it.

The hon. Gentleman has nowhere to go, however. Opposition Members complained about environmental standards, and the Government listened to the concerns expressed by those who run care homes. We acted responsibly but, in the end, capacity for the care of older people depends on investment. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State spelled out in July, the Government are willing to invest in choice and capacity for older people. That means that more care will be available for them in residential care homes and in their own homes. The hon. Gentleman opposes that investment. He has nowhere to go, and nothing to say.