Number of care homes in England drops by 10% in six years

Some areas have reportedly lost 40 per cent of their care home beds

The number of care homes in England has fallen by 10 per cent in six years, according to new figures. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The number of care homes in England has fallen by 10 per cent in six years, according to new figures.

There were 16,938 homes across the country in 2015 – a number that has fallen by 1,698, according to House of Commons Library analysis.

While the average number of beds per care home rose from 27 to 30 during that time, 5,110 beds have been lost overall, the analysis, based on Care Quality Commission data, shows.

Some areas have reportedly lost 40 per cent of their care home beds.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, told theTelegraph: “Our social care system has never been in such a dire state, with the provision of services simply not sufficient to meet demand.

“That there is a postcode lottery on whether our loved ones will have a care home bed is shameful, and a damning indictment of a Conservative government that has spent years dragging its feet on this issue.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said the figures were “not altogether surprising”.

She told the LocalGov website: “There is nothing like enough money within social care: the government squeezes councils, which in turn squeeze care providers, with the result that some complain they are being forced to operate at a loss.

“This chronic underfunding by successive governments is at the root of most of the problems we see in care today.”