§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold an investigation into the costs of residential care.[9130]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 19 October 2001]: Our response to the Royal Commission on long-term care, as announced in the NHS Plan, has been to introduce a range of measures to ensure the system of funding and charging for residential care is fairer.
We routinely monitor the costs of residential and nursing home care through performance indicators included in the performance assessment framework for personal social services. In addition, we have commissioned research into costs, fees and profitability in the care home sector. Residential care is subject to the best value regime that requires councils to balance costs, outcomes and quality.