Older Britons are facing a growing struggle to secure a care home with up to 170 pensioners per bed in some areas, an alarming study reveals.
New analysis from the House of Commons Library shows that the supply of care home places has failed to keep pace with population growth and ageing.
The number of boarding houses per residence has soared 14 percent, from 761 in 2018 to 867 this year, while the number per bed has increased 6 percent, from 25 to 27.
However, a “marked postcode lottery” means bed rates vary locally from 11.64 in Southport to 169.7 in the cities of London and Westminster, a 15-fold difference.
Surprisingly, the number of pensioners per bed has more than doubled in some constituencies over the past six years.
Pensioners face a growing struggle for places in care homes as capacity has failed to keep up with a growing and aging population (file photo)
The number of pensions per bed varies locally from 11.64 in Southport to 169.7 in the cities of London and Westminster (file photo)
Health leaders warn that the shortfall is causing hospitals to block beds, reducing the speed with which they can admit new A&E patients and reducing waiting lists.
England’s National Health Service said more than 12,000 hospital beds a day are filled with patients who doctors consider fit to be discharged but who cannot leave.
The Liberal Democrats, who commissioned the inquiry, say the findings expose a “postcode lottery” and show the previous Conservative government “abandoned the elderly and their loved ones”.
The Party has called for cross-party talks on social care to rescue the future of social care.
Hornsey and Wood Green have seen a 130 per cent increase in the number of over-65s per care home bed, from 45 to 103, in Wythenshawe and Sale East it has increased by almost 70 per cent and in Leeds North East 62 percent.
The number of pensioners per bed in some areas currently exceeds 150.
In the cities of London and Westminster it is 170, Orpington 167 and in Hackney South and Shoreditch 147.
In total, 394 of the 536 constituencies in England and Wales have seen an increase in the number of pensioners per care home bed in recent years.
Around 88 per cent of constituencies saw an increase in the number of people aged 65 and over per residence.
Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: “These figures expose a stark postcode lottery that is leaving pensioners and their loved ones deeply concerned about the quality of care they will be able to receive, if they can find it at all.” some”.
‘The blame for this crisis lies squarely with the previous Conservative government, which abandoned older people and their loved ones, refusing to take the necessary measures to rescue our care sector and give pensioners the dignity they deserve in their final years.
“Rescuing the NHS and healthcare is the biggest challenge facing this country, so we urgently need cross-party talks to make sure everyone gets the care they deserve.”
Around 88 per cent of constituencies saw an increase in the number of people over 65 per residence (file photo)
Professor Martin Green, chief executive of trade body Care England, said: “With an aging population and an increase in the number of people living with dementia, there will be a need for more care homes, but also more community care and support. “. .
“There is an urgent need for the Government to have a planned national approach to ensure there are sufficient services to meet current and future needs.”
Rory Deighton, director of the NHS Confederation, said: “These figures are further evidence of the chronic pressure facing the social care sector.
‘The increase in pensioners per residence is staggering and demonstrates the widening gap between demand and capacity across the country.
‘Like social care, the NHS is also trying to manage the growing demand from an older population with more complex health conditions.
‘We have been calling for more social care support, particularly an equivalent workforce plan to increase staff levels and capacity.
‘With winter on the horizon, we have also called for immediate funding to support the health and care sectors.
‘Part of this must be invested in increasing capacity for social and community care.
‘The health and social care sectors are inextricably linked, with obstacles on one side causing delays on the other.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the crisis exposed the “postcode lottery” in care home capacity.
‘Our members report that a lack of capacity in community and social care is a key factor explaining why so many patients are stuck in hospital despite being medically fit to leave.
“This, in turn, can lead to long waits in emergency departments and delays in the delivery of medicines to hospital front doors.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Social care is broken and it is unacceptable that so many people are left without the care they need.”
“We are committed to building a National Care Service, backed by national standards and delivered locally, to ensure everyone can receive the care they need.”
