HC Deb 13 March 1989 vol 149 cc77-8W
Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will identify the groups which have carried out studies of the costs of residential care and the full costs to public funds of private residential care of which his Department is aware.

Mr. Mellor

I am aware of the following studies of the costs of private and voluntary residential care:

Title and Organisation

  • Survey of Private and Voluntary Residential and Nuring Homes for the Department of Health and Social Security—Ernst and Whinney.
  • Residential Care Homes Reasonableness of Charges. Reasonableness of Nursing Home Charges—University of York Social Policy Research Unit.
  • National Survey of Independent Residential Care and Nursing Homes—University of Kent Personal Social Services Research Unit/University of York, Centre for Health Economics.
  • Evaluation of Very Sheltered Housing—Department of the Environment.

Copies of the Ernst and Whinney study and that into the reasonableness of charges in residential care homes are in the Library. The reports of the remaining three studies are awaited. As my reply of 6 March to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) at column 421 indicated, none of these studies enable us to draw general conclusions about the full costs to public funds of care in either sector and only limited comparisons have been possible.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions are made for the care and well being of residents of private homes during change of ownership; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor

It is for registration authorities to see that adequate arrangements are made by those running a home for the continuing care of residents during a change of ownership. The code of practice for residential care, "Home Life", advises that proprietors notify the registration authority of any intended change of ownership. Advice to health authorities is that home owners be asked to make completion of sale conditional upon, and not effective until, the home is re-registered. This will avoid the nursing home having to cease operations until the new registration is granted.