Care homes in court threat

New regulations are putting care homes under pressure

A group of care home owners are threatening to take Lincolnshire County Council to court, unless it agrees to pay them an extra £250,000 a year.

The 13 homes argue that they are not paid a fair price for looking after residents.

They say that legal papers have already been drawn up and that they are prepared to sue the council to win a better deal.

The home owners refused to sign new contracts with the council when they expired earlier this year.

They have also won support from the Lincolnshire Association of Registered Care Homes (Larch), which represents over half of the 340 homes in the county.

'Listened carefully'

Lincolnshire County Council says it has already responded to the home owners by increasing rates four times since April of last year.

It said in a statement: "The Council has listened very carefully to the concerns of providers in Lincolnshire and responded by increasing the amount it pays for long term care in April 2001, October 2001 and April 2002.

"The rates were increased again on 1 October 2002 by a further £12, which amounts to £3m in a full year.

"Lincolnshire now pays more than other East Midlands authorities by as much as £17 per week."

'Fair price'

The vice chairman of Larch Gerry Walsh said: "Larch disputes that we are paid more, other areas get larger amounts and what we are given is not enough to provide adequate care.

"We are asking for a quarter of a million pounds, which would cover the difference between price currently paid per resident and what we consider to be a fair price from the time the contracts expired in May up to this month."