Earlier this month, Richard visited the Quantum-run Care Home in Biggleswade, Mantles Court. During the visit he was given a tour of the facilities, spoke to a charming resident enjoying a concert screening, and had a catch-up with the senior leadership team.
Richard Fuller MP said:
I am deeply concerned about the Government’s reckless plans for Employers' National Insurance Contributions and the impact that this will have on the residential care sector. This meeting reinforced these concerns to me as care homes across the country, and across my constituency will have to make very difficult decisions if they are to remain viable.
At the meeting I was told that Quantum operate a combination of private and placement homes but that all of their homes accept some Local Government placements. The private homes generate revenue which is then reinvested across the company and across all homes. Effectively creating a situation whereby the private homes, at least in part, subsidise the placement homes to ensure that everyone enjoys a high standard of care.
For a sector which has, like the rest of us, had to adapt to not only the Coronavirus Pandemic but also the high inflation aftermath exacerbated by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, to then be hit with a third sector-wide cost increase in the form of higher National Insurance payments is baffling to me. We should be encouraging investment in the sector, fostering partnerships and utilising the benefits of ownership models like Quantum’s to deliver the best for senior care. The Government should not be arbitrarily driving up costs, forcing these homes to make tough choices or risking that they close altogether.
