Action Group Hails “Victory for Common Sense” as North Wales Care Homes Win Contract Delay
The scrapping of a December 1 deadline for a controversial contract for North Wales care homes has been hailed as “victory for common sense” by a new action group.
The decision to delay the push for a regional Pre-Placement Agreement follows mounting pressure from the newly-formed group of independent providers from across the region.
They were worried the terms of the agreement, headed up by Denbighshire County Council on behalf of the North Wales Regional Partnership Board, would jeopardise the vulnerable elderly people in care home in North Wales.
According to the action group, providers were not being given enough time to scrutinise the 90-page document and negotiate changes.
The group had accused some local authorities of trying to force the agreement through with “indecent haste”, arguing that such an important contract should not be rushed at a time when the social care sector was already facing significant pressures.
The providers have stressed they are not opposed to the principle of having an agreement and says it recognises the benefits of a consistent regional framework for commissioning social care.
However, they say the proposed document needs considerably more discussion and negotiation to ensure it is fair to everyone, especially the vulnerable people receiving social care.
The providers have been calling for a six-month extension to allow sufficient time to work towards an agreement that offers fairness, transparency and financial sustainability.
Key issues include how care funding is calculated, guarantees of annual increases and the need to recognise the true costs of providing care.
The decision to delay the implementation of the agreement was announced in an email to providers from the Regional Partnership Board
The email said: “We recognise the importance of giving full and careful consideration to the feedback received. We will therefore be reviewing all the comments and feedback with our partners and legal advisers, with a view to issuing a revised agreement that takes account of the relevant matters raised.
“To ensure sufficient time is available for this process, implementation will be deferred beyond the original date of 1 December 2026 and into 2027.
“A revised implementation timetable will be communicated once the review has progressed sufficiently to enable the next steps to be confirmed.”
Action group chair Kevin Edwards, Managing Director of Meddyg Care, which has care homes in Criccieth, Porthmadog and Rhyl along with a domiciliary care company in Gwynedd, said their priority was to secure the long-term future of high-quality care in North Wales.
Mr Edwards said: “We very much welcome the decision to scrap the December 1 deadline. It is a victory for common sense and an important recognition that an agreement of this significance should not be rushed through without giving providers the opportunity to properly consider and negotiate its terms.
“We have never been opposed to the principle of having a Pre-Placement Agreement. In fact, we believe a properly constructed regional agreement could be a positive step forward for everybody. But it has to be fair, it has to be transparent and it has to work for all parties, not just the local authorities and health board.
“Our concern all along has been that the original timetable simply didn’t allow enough time for meaningful discussion. This is a 90-page document with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future of independent care provision in North Wales. We need to get it right rather than rush it through for the sake of meeting an arbitrary deadline.
“We now hope this decision will open the door to genuine collaboration between commissioners and providers. There are important issues that need to be addressed, particularly around fair and sustainable fees, how those fees are calculated and how they will be reviewed to reflect the rising costs of delivering care.
“Ultimately, this isn’t about providers trying to protect their own interests at the expense of anybody else. It’s about making sure we have a sustainable care sector that can continue looking after vulnerable older people to the standards they deserve.
“We want an agreement that gives everyone confidence and security for the future. The people who matter most in all of this are the residents who rely on us for their care, and we must make sure their interests are at the heart of whatever agreement is reached.”
