Which? calls for CMA's inquiry to address care home bed shortages

Consumer body Which? is calling for an inquiry into the care home market by Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to go beyond issues of care quality, fees and complaints and address regional disparities in care home bed provision.

Nine out of 10 English councils face shortages from 2022

The call for action comes in response to existing care data analysed by Which? which reveals 87 per cent of councils in England will face local care home bed shortages by 2022.

‘Creaking care sector’

“We want the CMA to confront the creaking care sector now, recognising that the national picture masks huge differences at a local level” said Alex Hayman, Which?’s managing director of public markets.

“It’s heart-breaking that families who have no choice but to put a relative into care then have the additional stress of not knowing if they can find a space in a suitable home that’s close to loved ones.

“It is vital that the Competition and Markets Authority looks at the potentially huge local disparities in provision, which could reach crisis point if nothing is done.”

‘Care home population bigger than Manchester’

There are 43,000 people living in 11,293 care homes in England. There will be 7.2 million people over the age of 75 by 2025. As a result, the country is estimated to require an extra 71,215 care home places by 2025. No less than 14 council areas could face a care home place shortfall of at least 25 per cent by 2022, with an estimated shortfall of 42,000 care home beds across England.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) community wellbeing board, said: “These findings reinforce our warning about the urgent need to reform adult social care.

“While the £2 billion announced in the Spring Budget for social care was a step in the right direction, it is only one-off funding and social care services still face an annual £2.3 billion funding gap by 2020.

“It is absolutely critical that the Government uses the Autumn Budget to bring forward its consultation for social care announced in the Queen’s Speech, and that it works with local Government leaders in delivering a long-term sustainable solution for social care. To tackle the problems we face tomorrow, we must start planning today.”

In June of this year, the CMA reached halfway through its year-long review of the care home market and published its interim findings. The CMA reported that it has found signs the care home market isn’t working as well as it should and it is taking action by opening up a consumer protection case to investigate concerns that some care homes may be breaking consumer law.

According to the CMA, it can take up to between five and seven years to plan, build and open a new care home, making it harder for care providers to quickly respond to changes in demand.

Which? has stated: ’Right now, the care home population is already bigger than the City of Manchester. With some parts of the UK already failing to meet the demand, we need action now.’

Launching its campaign for a more wide-ranging CMA investigation on 4 October, the consumer body is looking to get 50,000 signatures for its petition Which? website.

To sign the Which? petition visit: www.campaigns.which.co.uk/care-system/