Care Home Professional – August 2019

16 CARE HOME PROFESSIONAL | August 2019

RESEARCH & DATA NATIONAL CARE ASSOCIATION

IN ITS LATEST SOCIAL CARE FEES BRIEFING, THE NATIONAL CARE ASSOCIATION

(NCA) LAYS BARE THE SOCIAL CARE FUNDING CRISIS.

FUNDING CRISIS LAID BARE

I

n its members survey, the

NCA revealed that 87% of

respondents had contracts with

local authorities with only 60%

of them having been notified of an

increase in 2019/20 in April.

Only 38% of social care providers

contracting with the NHS were advised

on fee rates in April.

Nadra Ahmed, executive chairman

of the NCA, said: “It seems reckless

and a dereliction of duty by LAs to fail

to notify providers about any increases

they can expect, or not, at the start of

the financial year when the National

Living Wage, regulatory fees and other

increases will be kicking in.”

The briefing notes areas of the

country with a shortage of care and

nursing beds and the “devastating ”

consequences for the NHS. It describes

as a “shame on our nation” the fact that

almost 1.5m people are not having their

care needs met.

The report also notes significant

local and regional variation on whether

patients are awarded NHS Continuing

Health Care (CHC) funding.

“Too many individuals are being

refused CHC on spurious grounds in

what looks to many outside the CCG

system as a method of controlling NHS

expenditure,” the report states.

The NCA argues CCGs are often

reluctant to engage with care providers,

viewing them as marginal players in the

health and care system.

It also notes that CCGs are capping

payments and often linking them to LA

fee levels without any consideration for

the costs of providing care and refusing

any inflationary uplifts for longer

term placements. Many CCGs now

expect providers to demonstrate year

on year efficiencies, which drive fees

downwards, the report says.

Two-thirds of respondents said

they were concerned about their

business viability.

“With endless talk about integration

it is disappointing to note that there is

no marked difference in the way that

the NHS and local authorities are

commissioning in consultation with

the sector,” the report adds.

Noting Skills for Care research

showing 110,000 vacancies in the

sector, 65% of respondents said they

had recruitment issues.

“The sector continues to struggle

Have you been notified of an annual fee

Increase / decrease?

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%

Yes No Still awaiting notification

FEES IN TAMESIDE ARE NOW GEARED

AROUND OBTAINING A ‘GOOD’ OR

‘OUTSTANDING’ CQC REPORT. IF A CARE

HOME FAILS TO ACHIEVE EITHER OF THESE

CATEGORIES THEN THE FEE LEVEL REDUCES BY A

SUBSTANTIAL MARGIN.”

Are you concerned about your financial stability

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%

Yes No