Care home representatives slam fee increases

The English Community Care Association today slammed the 20%
increase in fees for care home registration and inspection,
writes Maria Ahmed.

Commission for Social Care Inspection fees are to rise across
the board by 20 per cent from this year’s levels. Healthcare
Commission registration fees will rise by 50 per cent, with
increases in inspection fees ranging from 20 to 55 per cent.

The changes will see care homes’ registration fees rise
from £1,584 to £1,901, and their annual inspection fees
from £216 to £259.

The ECCA slammed the move, which it claims had been imposed on
the sector without any consultation.   

Chief Executive Martin Green said: “The Department of
Health’s latest announcement will add further pressure to the
care home sector and without full cost recovery to providers will
reduce the resources available to provide high quality care for
residents”.

“With this increase in mind we strongly expect councils to
increase their fees to independent care homes and ensure that they
also receive full cost recovery,” he added. “This
announcement has a significant impact on the costs of care and is
in sharp contrast with the fact that some local authorities have
been announcing increases of less than the inflation rate and in
one instance as low as 1%”.

Delivering a statement to Parliament, Ladyman said the
government was committed to moving to a position where the
recurrent costs of providing regulation were fully recovered from
service providers.

Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Homes Association, said
the proposed increases were “absolutely appalling” and
predicted that some homes could be forced to close if providers
were unable to meet the costs.

 

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