Protests Spread Over 'Unfair' Care Home Changes

5.17.48pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Apr 2008

Following strong objections by local residents to discriminatory charging in local care homes, Vincent Cable, MP, is planning to raise the issue in a parliamentary debate.

Evidence has grown that the practice of charging some residents much more than others - particularly council nominees - is widespread and it has attracted strong criticism from the Social Care commission and the Office of Fair Trading.

Vincent Cable said: "There is a real sense of injustice that fees in the same care home for identical services can vary by a factor of 2. It is totally contrary to the principles of fair trading as defined by the competition authorities that different people should be charged radically different prices for the same quality of service. Yet in approximately 60% of residential homes - including some of the leading care homes in the borough - there is discriminatory charging based on the fact that the council has been able to negotiate a bulk rate for those people it nominates. The head of the Care Standards Commission has said that many of these charges are unreasonable since the prices and costs are not properly explained at the point of entry when, often, someone is admitted from hospital in a hurry and there is no chance to 'shop around'. But when people are being forced to sell a family home to afford expensive care home fees - which are now typically £30,000 to £50,000 - these judgements matter. I am anxious to secure of parliamentary debate on the issue since there is widespread acceptance that there is unacceptable practice but nothing is being done."