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.