The revelation that people living in one area of the country may have a 160 times better chance than those in another area of obtaining full NHS funding for their continuing care costs was described today as a 'mind-blowing indictment of the system' by the Registered Nursing Home Association, which said that the Department of Health's figures confirmed that older people everywhere were at the mercy of a cruel postcode lottery.

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A recent survey supports the long-standing claim by the RNHA that, for individuals who qualify for social services funding of their nursing home placements, many local authorities are paying less than the actual cost of the care provided. Around eight out of ten local authorities responding to a survey for the national charity Counsel and Care pay the same rate of weekly fees for all the nursing home patients regardless of their level of dependency and need.

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Comments last week-end by Professor Ian Philp, the government's national director for older people's services, about patients in nursing homes were described today as 'misleading and unhelpful' by the Registered Nursing Home Association, which represents around 1,200 nursing homes across the UK. The RNHA claimed the professor had got his figures wrong when he suggested that there are as many as 300,000 people in nursing homes. The total is nearer to 160,000, it said. The RNHA has also challenged the professor's assertion that patients are given little choice about whether they go into a nursing home or not.

Please note that our main BT line - 0121 451 1088 is currently out of operation. However, you can still contact us via email at info@rnha.co.uk, fax on 0121-486 3175 or through a temporary telephone line on 07925 641533.

Keep up to date with what has been happening within government departments and regulatory bodies with respect to the long term care sector.