§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the deadline of 8 April for the reassessment of preserved rights of residents in nursing homes was met. [55320]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 10 May 2002]: The social services inspectorate is monitoring the progress local authorities are making in assessing the care needs of people who were subject to the preserved rights arrangements. Information on the number of residents who have been reassessed is unlikely to be available centrally until July this year.
There may be cases in which local authorities were unable to complete care assessments by 8 April. In these circumstances, authorities are liable to pay for the resident's existing private arrangements with the care home until they are in a position to provide community care services formally. Subject to means, they can recover all or part of such a payment from the resident.