HEALTHCARE MATTERS

Caring Standard Articles

Celia Harvey, lead partner in HPH's Healthcare Sector team, is a regular contributor to Caring Standard, the leading magazine offering expert advice for the UK care market. The following series of Question & Answer articles tackle the major issues facing today's healthcare professionals and providers. Just click on the question to read the full article.

November 2005 Q1: "I read your article in the August issue of Caring Standard regarding fees for residential homes.  We are trying to negotiate fees for one of our homes and would be grateful if you could give me information on how we establish what fees are in other areas, and any tips you might have in negotiating fees with local authorities."

November 2005 Q2: "If the needs of a resident change, third party payments may not cover the gap between care home fees and what the local authority is prepared to pay.  How can we cover any shortfall?"

August 2005 Q1: "It is difficult for homes to cope with the high cost of training on top of the cost of courses, we have to pay our staff while they are doing their training and pay wages of new staff to come in and cover.  How can we make sure we comply with the standard, but can still afford to pay for all of this?"

August 2005 Q2: "Residents coming to us from different areas receive the same level of care and use the same facilities, but the funds from their respective local authorities are miles apart.  How can we budget to take these differences into account?"