§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government plans to take to provide compensation for nursing home patients and their relatives who have suffered financial loss and hardship due to 125W the imposition of means testing by social services departments based on eligibility criteria which have been found to be unlawful. [114741]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department issued guidance in August 1999 following the Coughlan case (Health Service Guidance (1999) 180: Local Authority Circular (99)30) required health and local authorities to satisfy themselves that their criteria were lawful, taking legal advice where necessary. Where authorities subsequently revise their criteria in the light of the Coughlan judgment they should reassess clients against the revised criteria.
Any possible claims for compensation due to the operation of unlawful eligibility criteria for nursing home care are the responsibility of the relevant health authorities and local councils.
Mental Health—number of 24 hour staffed beds Region Health authority Position at March 1999 Position at December 1999 Increase London Barking and Havering 0 0 0 London Barnet 15 15 0 London Bexley and Greenwich 8 8 0 London Brent and Harrow 32 32 0 London Bromley 10 10 0 London Camden and Islington 60 72 12 London Croydon 0 0 0 London Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 39 43 4 London East London and City 106 106 0 London Enfield and Haringey 56 56 0 London Hillingdon 0 28 28 London Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 13 13 0 London Kingston and Richmond 62 62 0 London Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 138 142 4 London Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 185 185 0 London Redbridge and Waltham Forest 50 50 0 South East Berkshire 0 0 0 South East Buckinghamshire 29 29 0 South East East Kent 45 45 0 South East East Surrey 21 21 0 South East East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 175 175 0 South East Isle of Wight 0 8 8 South East North and Mid Hampshire 167 167 0 South East Northamptonshire 10 10 0 South East Oxfordshire 0 20 20 South East Portsmouth and SE Hampshire 47 54 7 South East Southampton and SW Hampshire 83 83 0 South East West Kent 0 0 0 South East West Surrey 0 0 0 South East West Sussex 18 18 0 England 4,013 4,301 288 Source:
Common Information Core, quarterly monitoring