Funded Nursing Care Rate For 2019-20 To Increase

The amount of money nursing homes can claim from the NHS to cover essential registered nurse care will increase by 4.7% next financial year, the government has announced.

The standard NHS-funded nursing care rate for 2019-20 is being increased to £165.56 from April 2019. This sees an increase in the standard weekly rate per patient of 4.7%, from the current rate of £158.16.

The higher rate of NHS-funded nursing care will also increase by 4.7% from the current rate of £217.59 to £227.77 per week for 2019 to 2020. This is only relevant for people who were already on the higher rate in 2007 when the single band was introduced.

These rates have been based on an independent study of the costs of providing nursing care, undertaken by LaingBuisson. The findings of this study have been combined with a 3.1% efficiency expectation of care home with nursing providers, and an expectation that no more than 10% of nursing hours are delivered by agency nurses.

Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, has reportedly announced that he is not satisfied with the rate, saying, ‘At long last the funded nursing care rate has been announced. It is not what we were hoping for and we will be considering next steps early next week.’