AQW 12458/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the number of people placed in care homes due to a lack of an available home care package in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency; and (ii) the average cost of each stay.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 23 May 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 23 May 2024
- Answer due by
- 10 June 2024
- Answered
- 7 June 202415 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The Department does not hold this information centrally and this was requested from HSC Trusts. Their responses are detailed below.
(i) the number of people placed in care homes due to a lack of an available home care package in each of the last five years
| HSC Trust | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
| Belfast | 794 | 892 | 1196 | 704 | 443 |
| Northern | 31 | 68 | 246 | 442 | 378 |
| South Eastern | 98 | 25 | 178 | 273 | 169 |
| Western | 37 | 24 | 43 | 51 | 68 |
Southern HSC Trust provided the figure of 357 people, which is their total from 01/01/2021 to 29/03/2024.
(ii) average cost of each stay
| HSC Trust | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
| Northern | £3,986 | £5,370 | £6,503 | £6,790 | £6,251 |
| South Eastern | £4,340 | £5,601 | £6,386 | £5,968 | £4,315 |
| Western | £11,964 | £21,226 | £12,515 | £18,911 | £14,135 |
Southern HSC Trust provided the figure of £13,089, which is the average over the timeframe from 01/01/2021 to 29/03/2024.
Belfast HSC Trust are unable to provide this information.
Domiciliary care services continue to experience significant pressures across the region, and there are a range of factors currently impacting upon delivery of this service; this includes significant retention issues in regard to domiciliary care staff.
Where delivery of care packages has been negatively impacted due to challenges regarding capacity, Trusts have in place mitigation measures to try to ensure services continue to be provided.
My Department remains committed to the provision of a high quality domiciliary care service, and will continue to work alongside Trusts and independent sector providers to maintain and support service provision.