§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers he has to ensure that local authority care managers offer the required level of choice to elderly people and their relatives seeking residential care. [31189]
§ Mr. BowisWe have issued a statutory direction to local authorities which requires them to place a resident in a care home of his or her choice subject only to availability of a bed, appropriateness of the home to the level and type of assessed need and reasonableness of cost in relation to the range of price normally paid by the authority for the level and type of need.
§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy in respect of an independent inspectorate supported by private residential sector residential homes. [31269]
§ Mr. BowisA number of organisational models, including an independent inspectorate, have been put forward for consultation in our review of the regulation and inspection of social services. We shall consider possible changes to the current regulatory structure in the light of the independent assessor's report.
§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cut-off point of beds per home for private sector residential homes in Devon laid down by Devon social services; what is the equivalent figure for local authority homes; and what guidance he has issued on this matter. [31188]
§ Mr. BowisThese are matters for the registering authority. No guidance has been issued by the Government on the maximum number of beds in residential homes.
§ Mr. AllasonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authority residential homes in Devon are neither registered nor accredited; and what action he plans to take to bring about their registration or accreditation. [31239]
388WThe 10 drugs most frequently associated with fatal1 suspected adverse reactions in 1993, 1994 and 1995 are listed in the table.
§ Mr. BowisLocal authority residential care homes are not currently required to register under the Registered Homes Act 1984. Authorities are however required to inspect their directly managed homes and apply the same standards as they do to independent sector homes. The possible need for local authority homes to be regulated is being considered as part of our review of the regulation and inspection of social services.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he plans to take in respect of staffing levels in local authority residential homes in Devon which fail to meet Devon council's recommendations for the private sector. [31238]
§ Mr. BowisThis is a matter for the local authority. We require local authorities to apply the same standards, including standards on staffing levels, to directly managed homes as they do to independent sector homes.
§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on the provision of health care of the relative costs of caring for the elderly, mentally ill patients in(a) a local authority-run home in Plymouth and (b) private sector establishments in Devon. [31240]
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers he has to ensure that in residential homes in Devon the purchaser/provider split takes place in accordance with the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. [31195]
§ Mr. BowisThere are no such powers in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. We encourage authorities to obtain maximum value for money from their purchasing arrangements for community care services and we agree with the Audit Commission that this includes making better use of the independent sector.
389W
§ Mr. AllasonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the differences in the provision of respite care to(a) private sector homes in Devon and (b) the local authority's own residential homes. [31187]
Short-stay residents in and short-stay admissions to residential homes in Devon1 Number of residents at 31 March 1995 Percentage of all residents Number of admissions in year to 31 March 1995 Percentage of all admissions Local authority homes 225 61 5,860 76 Independent sector homes2 145 39 1,890 24 All homes 370 100 7,750 100 1"Short stay" includes short placement for assessment and other reasons as well as respite care. 2Private and voluntary sector residential care homes registered under the terms of the Registered Homes Act 1984.