Statistics Release: Free Personal/Nursing Care
Scotland 2004
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Introduction
The purpose of this Statistics Release is to present the latest figures for free personal/nursing care. The number of people receiving free personal/nursing care who live in a care home or receive home care is included, along with the related expenditure. Local authorities' gross expenditure on care homes and home care is also given, as is the income received from charges to users.
Free personal/nursing care was introduced in Scotland on 1 July 2002. People aged 65 or over who live in care homes, and who would otherwise pay their own fees, receive a weekly payment of 145 towards their personal care, and a further 65 if nursing care is also required. People aged under 65 can also receive 65 towards nursing care. People aged 65 or over who receive local authority home care receive their personal care free of charge.
This release uses information collected from local authorities via the Free Personal/Nursing Care Expenditure Return, the Quarterly Monitoring Information Return and the Local Financial Return 3.
Main points
Over the period 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2004:
- The number of people receiving free personal care in a care home increased steadily - there was a 15 per cent rise over the two year period.
- The number of people receiving free nursing care also increased by 15 per cent.
- The number of people in receipt of free personal care at home increased steadily by 74 per cent over the two years.
Expenditure on free personal/nursing care
Over the period 1 July 2002 to 31 March 2003:
- Expenditure on free personal care for care home residents was 42.1 million.
- Expenditure ranged from 1,000 in Shetland to 6.0 million in Edinburgh.
- Expenditure on free nursing care for care home residents aged under 65 was 0.1 million, and for those aged 65 or over was 12.1 million.
- There were no free nursing care recipients in Shetland or Orkney, and expenditure was again greatest in Edinburgh at 1.9 million.
- Expenditure on free personal care for home care clients was 71.9 million.
- There were no home care clients receiving free personal care in Shetland and expenditure was greatest in Glasgow at 14.0 million.
Chart 1: Expenditure on Free Personal and Nursing Care, 1 July 2002 to 31 March 2003
Chart 2: Recipients of free personal/nursing care
The number of people in receipt of free nursing care has risen at the same rate as those in receipt of free personal care in care homes over the two year period (a 15 per cent increase). However the number in receipt of free personal care at home has increased more sharply (74 per cent).
Figures are shown in Table 1 of the Annex.
Chart 3: Free Personal Care in a Care Home by Local Authority
A large majority of local authorities (23) showed an increase in free personal care clients, with the number of people receiving free personal care in Fife almost trebling over the period. However there were three local authorities who experienced a decrease in numbers - East Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway.
Figures are shown in Table 2.
Chart 4: Free Nursing Care in a Care Home by Local Authority
As with free personal care, most local authorities experienced an increase in the number of free nursing care clients. Fife again showed the largest increase, however this was much smaller (72 per cent). Angus, West Lothian and Highland all had drops in free nursing care figures despite a rise in free personal care clients.
Figures are shown in Table 3.
Chart 5: Free Personal Care at Home - Number of Clients and Corresponding Hours
The number of hours of free personal care received by clients at home has increased almost in line with the number of clients receiving this care. The number of clients increased by 74 per cent, whereas the number of hours increased by 67 per cent.
Figures are shown in Table 4.
Chart 6: Free Personal Care at Home by Local Authority
Almost all local authorities experienced an increase in the number of people receiving free personal care at home. Of the larger authorities North Lanarkshire saw the most significant rise, with numbers there almost trebling. Only Inverclyde had less people in receipt of free personal care at home in 2004 than in 2002.
Figures are shown in Table 4.
Chart 7: Free Personal Care Expenditure on Care Home Residents per 1,000 Population Aged 65+ by Local Authority
Expenditure on free personal care in a care home per 1,000 population aged 65+ was greatest in Perth & Kinross at 105,000. Average expenditure was 52,000 per 1,000 population.
Figures are shown in Table 8.
Chart 8: Free Nursing Care Expenditure on Care Home Residents Aged 65+ per 1,000 Population Aged 65+ by Local Authority
Expenditure on free nursing care in a care home for people aged 65+ per 1,000 population was greatest in Edinburgh at 28,000. Average expenditure was 15,000 per 1,000 population.
Figures are shown in Table 8.
Chart 9: Free Personal Care Expenditure on Home Care Clients per 1,000 Population Aged 65+ by Local Authority
Expenditure on free personal care at home per 1,000 population aged 65+ was greatest in Glasgow at 157,000. Average expenditure was 88,000 per 1,000 population.
Figures are shown in Table 8.
Background information on the collection of the data
Tables 1-5 and Charts 2-6 present information on the number of people in receipt of free personal and nursing care (both in care homes and at home). This information has been collected quarterly by the Scottish Executive since 1 July 2002 when the policy began.
17 local authorities return this information regularly (each quarter) while three (Eilean Siar, Perth and Kinross and Scottish Borders) have been unable to supply any information, and numbers of clients in these cases have been estimated based on the expenditure information supplied. The estimated figures in the tables are shown in italics.
Tables 6 to 8 and charts 1 and 7 to 9 present information on free personal and nursing care expenditure. This information was collected through the Free Personal/Nursing Care Expenditure Return, which was sent to local authorities in October 2003.
Some local authorities were unable to provide all the breakdowns asked for (for example not all local authorities could differentiate between free personal care expenditure and free nursing care expenditure on care home residents aged 65 or over) and in these cases the figures have been estimated based on the Expenditure Return and the quarterly survey on numbers of people in receipt of payments.
Tables 9 to 12 present information on local authorities' gross expenditure on care homes and home care, and also the income received from charges to users. This information is taken from the Local Financial Return 3 and the Expenditure Return.
Further information
Further details and analysis of the data presented in this Statistics Release are available on request from the address given below. The Statistics Release is available on the Internet by accessing the Scottish Executive web site ( www.scotland.gov.uk).
Information at local authority level is shown in the annex to this Statistics Release.
Community Care Statistics
Room 3WR
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
Contact: Steven Gillespie
Tel: 0131 244 3777
E-mail: SWStat@scotland.gov.uk
This statistics release was published on 28 September 2004.
ANNEX 1: Information at Local Authority Level
Detailed tables are available as follows:
Table 1: Number of people in receipt of Free Personal Care and Free Nursing Care
Table 2: Number of people in receipt of Free Personal Care in a Care Home by Local Authority
Table 3: Number of people in receipt of Free Nursing Care in a Care Home by Local Authority
Table 4: Number of people in receipt of Free Personal Care at Home by Local Authority
Table 5: Number of corresponding hours of Free Personal Care at Home by Local Authority
Table 6: Expenditure on Free Personal Care and Free Nursing Care in a Care Home, 1 July 2002 - 31 March 2003
Table 7: Expenditure on Free Personal Care at Home, 1 July 2002 - 31 March 2003
Table 8: Expenditure on Free Personal Care and Free Nursing Care on People aged 65+ per 1,000 Population aged 65+, 1 July 2002 - 31 March 2003
Table 9: Local Authority Gross Expenditure on Care Homes, 1 April 2002 - 31 March 2003
Table 10: Local Authority Income from Charges to Care Home Residents, 1 April 2002 - 31 March 2003
Table 11: Local Authority Gross Expenditure on Home Care, 1 April 2002 - 31 March 2003
Table 12: Local Authority Income from Charges to Home Care Clients, 1 April 2002 - 31 March 2003