House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Sept 2002 (pt 95)

19 Sept 2002 : Column 384W—continued

Residential and Nursing Homes

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) residential and (b) nursing homes closed in London in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2001. [69966]

Jacqui Smith: The number of residential care homes and nursing homes ¹ for each year since 1997 is given in the tables.

Information on nursing homes is collected at health authority rather than local authority level.

¹ General and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics. Includes dual registered homes, therefore the number of residential homes and nursing homes should not be added together.

Table 1: Number of nursing homes and private hospitals and clinics, 1997 to 2001.

At 31 March					Number
Year ²
Health Authority ³	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Barking and Havering	18	22	23	24	24
Barnet	29	34	35	36	32
Bexley and Greenwich	19	29	28	24	23
Brent and Harrow	24	32	37	35	37
Bromley	35	34	29	29	29
Camden and Islington	14	14	17	18	17
Croydon	33	36	40	..	38
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	23	33	30	34	32
East London and The City	15	16	26	19	20
Enfield and Haringey	30	32	31	28	29
Hillingdon	13	12	13	14	15
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster	40	57	63	63	71
Kingston and Richmond	23	23	22	22	22
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham	49	58	68	69	67
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth	61	61	66	66	68
Redbridge and Waltham Forest	24	27	26	27	24

Source:

Department of Health annual returns

.. not available

² The number of homes in 1997 refers to the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997

³ Information on nursing homes is collected at the Health Authority rather than Local Authority level.

Table 2: Number of residential care homes ⁴ ^, ⁵ 1997 to 2001.

At 31 March Number

Year

London Borough ⁶ 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Barking and Dagenham 29 33 33 33 31

Barnet 112 130 127 132 126

Bexley 58 64 67 67 63

Brent 92 95 97 87 87

Bromley 112 100 107 107 99

Camden 70 66 56 55 47

City of London 0 0 0 0 0

Croydon 143 185 183 192 207

Ealing 101 120 100 72 100

Enfield 113 126 124 117 123

Greenwich 46 50 19 45 47

Hackney 39 39 34 38 46

Hammersmith and Fulham 34 33 .. 33 32

Haringey 104 94 109 116 122

Harrow 77 76 75 77 76

Havering 66 61 64 63 65

Hillingdon 68 70 67 71 68

Hounslow 39 44 43 48 40

Islington 43 42 55 41 40

Kensington and Chelsea 22 21 18 18 16

Kingston-upon-Thames 71 70 71 66 65

Lambeth 119 115 114 108 105

Lewisham 83 76 87 84 85

Merton 54 52 60 56 61

Newham 47 52 50 55 57

Redbridge 69 77 72 75 70

Richmond-upon-Thames 54 63 59 55 55

Southwark 78 46 73 72 72

Sutton 62 64 62 60 59

Tower Hamlets 31 28 28 28 23

Waltham Forest 99 98 118 109 108

Wandsworth 80 77 78 98 95

Westminster 40 41 35 36 35

At 31 March					Number
			Year
London Borough ⁶	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Barking and Dagenham	29	33	33	33	31
Barnet	112	130	127	132	126
Bexley	58	64	67	67	63
Brent	92	95	97	87	87
Bromley	112	100	107	107	99
Camden	70	66	56	55	47
City of London	0	0	0	0	0
Croydon	143	185	183	192	207
Ealing	101	120	100	72	100
Enfield	113	126	124	117	123
Greenwich	46	50	19	45	47
Hackney	39	39	34	38	46
Hammersmith and Fulham	34	33	..	33	32
Haringey	104	94	109	116	122
Harrow	77	76	75	77	76
Havering	66	61	64	63	65
Hillingdon	68	70	67	71	68
Hounslow	39	44	43	48	40
Islington	43	42	55	41	40
Kensington and Chelsea	22	21	18	18	16
Kingston-upon-Thames	71	70	71	66	65
Lambeth	119	115	114	108	105
Lewisham	83	76	87	84	85
Merton	54	52	60	56	61
Newham	47	52	50	55	57
Redbridge	69	77	72	75	70
Richmond-upon-Thames	54	63	59	55	55
Southwark	78	46	73	72	72
Sutton	62	64	62	60	59
Tower Hamlets	31	28	28	28	23
Waltham Forest	99	98	118	109	108
Wandsworth	80	77	78	98	95
Westminster	40	41	35	36	35

Source:

Department of Health annual returns

.. Not available

⁴ Excludes children's homes

⁵ Includes dual registered homes, therefore the number of nursing homes and residential homes should not be added together.

⁶ Information is collected at the Local Authority geographical level and is presented for each London Borough.

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Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency arrangements (a) his Department and (b) the National Care Standards Commission have made to advise care home managers concerning their legal obligations in respect of staff awaiting the results of a criminal record check after 1 August; how many care home staff are awaiting a clearance check by the Criminal Records Bureau; how long they have been waiting; and what action a home failing to comply with staffing regulations because of delays by the Criminal Records Bureau will be required to take. [71202]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 22 July 2002]: All the statutory regulations are immediately accessible on the Department's website and the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) internet website. The Care Homes Regulations were published in December 2001 following extensive consultation and were immediately placed on the Department's website.

The NCSC wrote to all pre-existing care homes on 8 March 2002 with a guide to the application of the Care Standards Act. The guide included general information about legal requirements, including the requirement for care homes to obtain criminal records checks on staff. The guide included addresses for obtaining more information. The guide also included an application form for providers

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to apply for the relevant national standards document. Each set of national standards includes the appropriate regulations at the back.

The NCSC sent a registration pack to all unregistered care homes in February 2002 and sends a registration pack to all new applicants. The pack advises applicants to check the legal requirements before submitting their application to the NCSC.

In addition, the NCSC wrote to all providers in June reminding them of their obligations. This information can be found on the NCSC's website, which also sets out guidance to help providers manage their staff recruitment until the Criminal Records Bureau is fully meeting its targets. The NCSC has also co-operated with the care homes' umbrella organisations, to arrange for publication of this information on their internal sites.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received in connection with the implementation of standards 21.3 and 22.2 of the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People; if he will place them in the Library; what assessment he has made of the impact of standards 21.3 and 22.2 of the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People on the availability of beds in residential care and nursing homes; what estimate he has

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made of the impact on the number of care homes of the requirement of complying with the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People; and what estimate he has made of the average amount that each care home will have to spend in order to comply with the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People. [65040]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not easily available. The Department has received a large number of letter about national standards from care home owners, their representatives and other interested parties. Some of these letters include reference to paragraph 21.3 or paragraph 22.2 or both. Separating out all those letters which mention these paragraphs and placing them in the Library would involve disproportionate cost.

On 23 July my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health announced his intention to issue for consultation an amended set of physical environment standards. The aim of the amendments is to remove the requirement for care homes which existed before 1 April 2002 to conform to certain physical environment standards, including standards 21.3 and 22.2. For pre-existing care homes these standards would in future be regarded as good practice to which all care homes should aspire.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the situation facing local authorities and the private sector with regard to care homes. [71762]

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement on older people's services which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State made to the House on 23 July at columns 869–72.

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes have (a) opened and (b) closed in each region in each of the last five years. [72545]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures he has collated of the average cost over the past five years, by region, for residents of a private care home. [72384]

Jacqui Smith: Information on care home fee levels is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may find it helpful to consult reports of the recent annual surveys of the care home sector undertaken by consultants Laing and Buisson. These contain information on the average weekly fees in each region charged by private care homes for elderly people.

The social services performance assessment framework indicators published in October 2001 contain information on councils' unit costs for providing residential and nursing care for different client groups. A copy of this document is available in the Library.

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential care home places for elderly people were closed in (a) England and (b) the NHS during the last 12 months. [72951]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

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