Union slams care home fees ‘lottery’

Reporter: Dawn Marsden
Date online: 14 July 2009

ONLY 61 per cent of occupied care home beds in Oldham are publicly funded, according to a new report.

The borough is languishing in 19th place out of 22 districts in the North-West, slightly above Rochdale, Lancashire and Cheshire.

Knowsley tops the table with 89 per cent of occupied care home beds supported by public funding, followed by Liverpool (85 per cent), Tameside and Salford (both 80 per cent).

In the North-West overall, 63 per cent of occupied care home beds are supported by public funding.

Payment for the remaining beds for the elderly are funded by the residents themselves or by their families.

Graham McDermott, senior organiser for the GMB union, which carried out the survey, said: “The welfare state was designed as a cradle to grave service until the Thatcher government redesigned it as a cradle to care home service.

“This is grossly unfair as only one in 20 elderly people end their days in care homes. It is a complete lottery as to which one in every 20 end up in care and are asked to pay for their care.

“As these figures show over half already receive support to pay for care, it would not be a radical step to introduce a universal coverage like that of the NHS for care service.

“Collective insurance is the only fair way of meeting these costs as is already the case in Scotland.

“We cannot cut corners on this — the staff in care homes need to be properly qualified, trained, rewarded and resourced to look after those who are our mothers and fathers in their declining years when they really need us.

“The system we have at the moment does not deliver for the elderly or for the staff.

“GMB would like to see a proper debate on this matter in the UK.

“We will be lobbying council social services committees and Government ministers to promote GMB policy and secure a fair deal for residents and GMB care home staff.”