11 May Care England Welcome Increased Funding for Nursing in Care Homes
Care England, the largest and most diverse representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has today welcomed the announced 2022-23 Funded Nursing Care uplift (FNC) of 11.5% from its current £187.60 to £209.19 per week (£287.78 for those on the historic high band payment) backdated to April 2022.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:
“Care England has focussed tirelessly on FNC since 2015 to secure a rate payable to reflect the challenges of providing nursing care in a sector troubled by workforce shortages, rising agency costs and increasing resident dependency. We commend the Department of Health and Social Care for recognising the cost increases faced by providers and the impact of the pandemic on our valued nurses. As we move forward, we must seek longer-term solutions to the national nursing shortage and the difficulties the sector has recruiting nurses and slowing the rates of attrition.”
In consideration of the work and time provided by nurses in care homes during the pandemic, for the 2021-22 financial year, CCGs will be instructed to provide a retrospective payment of £21.93 (£30.17 for those on the high band) per resident per week.
Care England worked closely with the DHSC to develop the data collection template and to maximise responses from providers. The exercise saw over 1,000 responses of which over 800 were usable in determining today’s outcome.
The announcement can be found here – GOV.UK.
Martin Green continues:
“Whilst we were disappointed at the timely nature of the decision, the uplift sets a precedent for Local Authorities to follow in uplifting their fees for local care providers to increase the future sustainability of the sector.”
