Care England Its Out At NHS-Funded Nursing Care Rate Increase
Care England, has expressed disbelief at the “paltry” Funded Nursing Care rates.
The NHS-funded nursing care is when the NHS pays for the nursing care component of nursing home fees. The NHS pays a flat rate directly to the care home towards the cost of this nursing care.
The rate is being increased to £187.60 from 1 April 2021.The funding is provided by the NHS to care homes to support the provision of nursing care for tens of thousands of people who need it and are assessed as eligible.
From April 1, the standard weekly rate per person will increase by 2% from £183.92 to £187.60.
The higher rate of NHS-funded nursing care will also increase by 2% from the current rate of £253.02 to £258.08 per week for the next financial year. This covers those who were already on the higher rate in 2007 when the single band was introduced.
Regulations have been laid before Parliament to bring into force the new rates from 1 April.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “This decision shows contempt for a sector that has been on the front line during this pandemic, and may be the final blow that sees some services close. The impact of closures on the people we support, their families, and the dedicated staff, will be immeasurable”.
“Regulations to set the Funded Nursing Care rate for 2021-22 were laid in Parliament this morning.”
Care England says it “has worked tirelessly to demonstrate how care home nurses have led during the pandemic and has supplied the DHSC with copious evidence of those extra responsibilities and costs but to no avail. The rate mirrors that of last year, but we are of course in a very different place which hasn’t been understood, acknowledged or recompensed, and would ask that the DHSC is fully transparent in evidencing how it came to a 2% increase for 2021-22.”
Martin Green continues:
“Following last week’s dismal proposed pay increase for NHS nurses, the Government’s recent Funded Nursing Care announcement has truly confirmed that the Government see care home nurses as equally undeserving”.
