To ask the Minister of Health whether he has undertaken, or plans to undertake, an impact assessment of the impact on those older people who are moved into a nursing home or a care home due to a domiciliary care package being unavailable.

My officials have established a Project Steering Group which has been set up to review Home Care Services specifically. One of the sub-groups within the Project Steering Group has been tasked to examine the impact waiting in a care home or at home on a new package of domiciliary care is having on the service user.

I recognise that waiting in a care home for a domiciliary care package is not an ideal situation and I understand the distress and de-conditioning impact this may have on individuals.

Through the Social Care Collaborative Forum my officials are working with the Statutory and Independent Sector to identify ways to grow the domiciliary care workforce and to maximize the capacity we currently have.