Care Homes: Insurance Indemnity

Debate between Lord Bethell and Lord Bhatia

Wednesday 19th May 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bethell (Con)]

My Lords, the financial stability of the care home sector is, as the noble Baroness rightly pointed out, something that we monitor extremely closely. There will, of course, always been new entrants and new departures from such a rich and varied sector. That is not something to be regretted; it brings innovation and new opportunities to the sector. She is right that the potential increase in insurance payments is something that we need to factor in to the finance. That is why we have brought in the designated settlement support scheme and increased the support from local authorities for social care.

[Lord Bhatia (Non-Afl) [V]]

My Lords, are there any estimates of how many care homes have gone under because of financial difficulties? How many have been closed down?

[Lord Bethell (Con)]

My Lords, I do not have the precise number at my fingertips, but I can reassure the noble Lord that the proportion that has gone under in the last year is not dramatically higher than in previous years. We monitor the situation extremely closely. I am aware of the concerns of noble Lords about the financial position of the social care industry and we are taking very careful measures to ensure that we are on top of the financial monitoring situation.

Covid-19: Over-75s

Debate between Lord Bethell and Lord Bhatia

Tuesday 9th February 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bethell (Con)]

The noble Lord explains the situation of those who have been in care homes and separated from their loved ones extremely well. We all feel extremely heartbroken by the stories of people who have been separated from their loved ones, but we need to put the saving of life as the first priority. Visits have been allowed outdoors, behind screens and in safe environments. I appreciate that that is not the same as an intimate face-to-face meeting but, where we can, we have put in place guidelines to ensure that people are protected. A review of the guidelines will happen on 22 February, and that seems the right moment to review these procedures.

[Lord Bhatia (Non-Afl) [V]]

My Lords, can the Minister confirm that those over 75 years of age must receive the vaccine first?

[Lord Bethell (Con)]

My Lords, the priority list from the JCVI indicates that all residents in care homes, older adults and those over 80 will be first. But, with the current state of the rollout, all those over 65 should have been offered a vaccine, and I encourage them all to step up and respond to the letter when they receive it.