HL Deb 16 March 2004 vol 659 c41WA
Lord Lipsey

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress they are making on their programme of intermediate care for the elderly. [HL 1697]

Lord Warner

The Government's programme for delivering intermediate care has resulted in considerable growth in service provision over the 1999–2000 baseline.

Compared to the 1999–2000 level, by 31 December 2003 the number of intermediate care beds had doubled and the number of intermediate care places in non-residential settings had trebled.

Between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2003, more than 235,000 received intermediate care services, an increase of 77 per cent from the 1999–2000 baseline.

The government target to provide 5,000 extra intermediate care places compared with the 1999–2000 baseline is likely to be achieved during 2004. The target to provide 1,700 extra non-residential care places has already been exceeded.