Jeremy Corbyn calls to nationalise failing care homes after 'social care crisis'
FINANCIALLY failing care homes will be taken into public ownership under a Labour government in order to protect social care provision, Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday.
Jeremy Corbyn told the Fabian Society that a Labour government would nationalise failing care homes
The Labour leader warned the entire social care system was at “serious risk of breakdown” unless the Government invested more money.
In a speech to the Fabian Society’s New Year conference, he said cuts of £4.6billion over the course of the last parliament created a “social care crisis made in Downing Street”.
Care homes have had to face a combination of rising costs and falling fee payments from councils, which had resulted in 380 businesses being declared insolvent since 2010.
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Labour will not let the elderly down
At the same time he said figures from the Care Quality Commission showed one in five nursing homes did not have sufficient staff on duty to ensure residents received good, safe care.
“They’ve now told councils to fill the gap by raising council tax but that won’t even meet three per cent of what councils are already spending on social care for the elderly,” he said.
“They’re passing the buck to the councils, shifting the blame and handing you the bill.
Corbyn said that Labour would allocate additional funding to social care
“Labour will not let the elderly down, people who have worked all their lives, paid their taxes and made a massive contribution to society.
“So a Labour government would give social care the funding it needs and give a firm commitment to take failed private care homes into public ownership to maintain social care protection.”
Mr Corbyn ended: “It’s the least we can do to guarantee dignity for people who have given so much to our country.”