Minister warns care homes over ‘cartels’

Care homes that threaten to turn-away council-funded residents
could be breaking the law.

Community care minister Stephen Ladyman has warned that some care
providers were trying to raise fees by creating a system where
residents who were funded by councils would be refused.

Speaking last week at a conference on care home regulation, he
said: “Forming cartels may well break the law and I expect the law
to be enforced if this is happening. It is the responsibility of
local councils to ensure the care needs of older people in their
area are met.” He added: “Central government has provided the
resources to councils to raise fees locally if this is what is
necessary to stabilise the local care sector.”