To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many and what proportion of patients in care homes receiving nursing care (a) have their costs paid by a primary care trust through fully-funded NHS continuing care, (b) are self-funded and (c) are funded by a local authority; (222685)

The information is not available in the format requested.

At December 2002, there were 41,580 self-funding residents receiving nursing care in care homes in England. Information for later years is not collected centrally.

As at 31 March 2007, the latest data available, 70,065 people whose costs were met wholly or partly by a council with adult social services responsibilities were resident in a nursing care home.

In October 2001, the Government delivered on time the commitment given in the NHS Plan to introduce national health service funded nursing care for those in a care home providing nursing care, who had previously paid for the care they needed from a registered nurse. From April 2003, all residents of care homes providing nursing care, including those placed by local authorities, have received NHS funding of their nursing care, rather than that element of their care being provided by the local council and subject to a means test.

In 2007-08, 117,587 people, including self-funders, were receiving NHS-funded free nursing care¹.

The Government have produced a new national framework, which sets out a single, national system for determining eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare. The Framework, which was implemented, in October 2007, will lead to fair and consistent access to NHS funding across England, irrespective of location, so that people with equal needs have an equal chance of getting all their care free.

In 2007-08, 38,168 people were receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare¹.

¹ Source—Department of Health form LDPR 2007-08, quarter 4.