Care home boss denies £1,000-a-week cost is unreasonable
6 July 2020, 23:08 | Updated: 7 July 2020, 07:22
Care home boss defends the cost of social care
The boss of a care home has defended the cost of social care in the UK, arguing that the services provided are worth the fees which are charged to many residents.
Anita Astle, who is the managing director of Wren Hall Nursing Home in Selston, Nottinghamshire, highlighted that her home's residents are given "three meals a day, two lots of snacks, outings, activities and personal care".
Ms Astle added that "nursery fees are comparable" to those of care homes like hers', which charge £700-£1000 per week to its up to 41 residents.
However, Tom Swarbrick reminded her that "for your average family, £1000 a week is unaffordable" and that many "would have to sell homes" to cover that cost.
The pair spoke after Boris Johnson emphasised the need "to make sure that the care sector, long-term, is properly organised and supported."
The Prime Minister also appeared to blame care homes themselves for the number of residents who had contracted Covid-19 and died, claiming that "too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have."
Downing Street has since clarified that Mr Johnson "was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known at the time."
