Care Homes: Insurance Indemnity

Baroness Walmsley Excerpts
Wednesday 19th May 2021

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Walmsley Portrait Baroness Walmsley (LD) [V]
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My Lords, the Minister will be aware that the financial viability of many homes has become precarious during the pandemic. What mechanism is in place to monitor the level of premiums and any homes in danger of closing because of this problem? What contingency measures are in place to care for the residents who might lose their homes as a consequence?

Lord Bethell Portrait Lord Bethell (Con)
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My Lords, in terms of monitoring, Care Quality Commission data indicates that pressures are being felt by the insurance industry, but these are not translating into reduced capacity, service closures or quality concerns. There is, in fact, a growth in the number of home care agencies since March 2020; for instance, in the east Midlands, there has been a growth in capacity of 9.4%. These are reassuring figures and we are monitoring the situation extremely closely.