§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he is offering local authorities on the impact of the closure of care homes. [18359]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 27 November 2001]: Government advice on the impact of the closure of care homes was published on 9 October in "Building Capacity and Partnership in Care". Commissioners and providers should share information about services that may no longer be needed, or may be about to be withdrawn. In all cases, the aim must be to minimise the impact on the 983W patient or service user. Care homes closing at short notice can be particularly distressing for the residents of those homes. If services have to be withdrawn, commissioners and providers should seek to achieve this in a planned way.