§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the responsibility for funding a person's nursing care will remain with the NHS after the point at which that person becomes eligible for means-tested support for their care costs. [140293]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Health Service will meet the costs of registered nurse time spent on providing, delegating or supervising care in a care home. This will be for everyone who needs it, whether or not they have means-tested support for their other care costs.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 November 2000,Official Report, column 170W, concerning free nursing care, how people who have a care home placement part-funded by a local authority will have their nursing care costs paid.[140292]
§ Mr. HuttonResponsibility for the payment of the nursing costs will be with the National Health Service—this could be discharged through a contract between the NHS and the care home, but in areas where the NHS and social services are using the Health Act flexibilities this may be handled through pooled budgets and lead commissioning by the local authority.