Care homes welcome 11.5% rise in funding for nursing care

Care homes have welcomed the government’s decision to increase by 11.5 per cent the amount they receive for NHS-funded nursing care (FNC) to £209.19 per week per resident.

The standard weekly rate per person provided for FNC has increased from £187.60 to £209.19 for 2022-23 and will be backdated to 1 April 2022. The historic higher band payment for 2022-23 will also rise to £287.78 per week.

In recognition of nurses' efforts in care settings during the pandemic, CCGs will also be instructed to give retrospective payments of £21.93 per resident per week for 2021-22 (£30.17 for those on the high band).

Rise 'reflects the cost of this vital work'

The funding is paid by the NHS directly to care homes which employ registered nurses. Increased funding for nursing will help cover the costs of supporting tens of thousands of care home residents with nursing needs, including those with learning and physical disabilities.

Care minister Gillian Keegan said: “Our brilliant adult social care nurses work tirelessly to support people living with a variety of health needs.

“Increasing the weekly rate and the retrospective uplift reflects the cost of this vital work which is carried by our valued and skilled workforce to help those who need it.

“It is right we continue to review the cost of this care to ensure nurses can continue providing excellent care and support the needs of their residents.”

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents care homes, said that since 2015 “Care England has been working hard to ensure that the FNC rate better reflected the costs of delivering this specialist care”, in a sector “troubled by workforce shortages, rising agency costs and increasing resident dependency”.

“We are pleased that the government has delivered an 11 per cent increase in this funding."

'Uplift sets a precedent for local authorities'

The rates are based on new research conducted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in 2021 through a cost collection survey which was sent to care home providers.

Care England has worked with the DHSC to develop a data collection template that would maximise responses from care homes – which led to over 800 responses helping determine the announcement.

Mr Green added: “The uplift sets a precedent for local authorities to follow in uplifting their fees for local care providers to increase the future sustainability of the sector.”

Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group (ICG), which represents care homes, said: “This is very welcome news and overdue recognition for our amazing nurses working in care settings.

“It paves the way for care providers to be better able to recognise the hard work our nurses do.

“The government has acknowledged the extra mile nurses have gone during the pandemic”.

However, Mr Padgham warned the announcement "is only a first step and we must keep up the pressure for complete root and branch funding reform of social care so that we can properly recognise, respect and reward not only nursing staff but all care staff working in social care settings.”