This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Investigation into care home charging
21/02/2005
Deputy Health Minister, Rhona Brankin has called for
urgent reports from local authorities on the use of top-up
fees for older people in care homes.
She said:
"The legislation and guidance is quite clear - top up
fees cannot be charged unless in clearly defined
circumstances. I want to ensure that this is the case in
practice."
The call, which was made in a letter from the Health
Department last week, follows media allegations of pressure
being placed on local-authority funded residents of care
homes to use top-up fees to cover standard local authority
levels of care.
The letter asks local authority Directors of Social
Work:
"Are you aware of care home residents, receiving
means-tested support from your authority, whose fees are
being topped up and where the arrangements do not fall
within the rules set out?
"If so, what measures do you have in place to protect
supported residents from pressure to top-up their fees,
such as in contracts with care providers or by informing
people of their rights?"
The Deputy Minister has acted following evidence
presented to her in advance of a Frontline Scotland
programme on the use of top-up fees due to be broadcast on
Monday 21 February.
The legislation and guidance on topping up was updated
in 2002 and is summarised in
Community Care Circular CCD6/2002.