UNDER-funding from Social Services towards nursing care for vulnerable people is much worse now than it was four years ago, according to a care home owner in Craven.

Malcolm Haigh, who owns Anley Hall at Settle, told the Herald that there was a £140 shortfall for nursing care each week from the Government.

Four years ago the shortfall was around £70.

At that time, specialist nursing care cost around £410 a week of which £340 came from Social Services. Today the figure averages £580 for medium nursing care based on guidelines from Laing and Buisson, an independent company and leading provider of authoritative data.

Social Services currently offer £442 - a shortfall of £138.

Mr Haigh was speaking following news that the Independent Care Group, to which the majority of care homes are affiliated, was raising a protest petition which will be passed to both the Government and local authorities.

The petition will demonstrate care providers' unity and strong feelings on the under-funding of adult social care in North Yorkshire and York.

Craven has around 13 privately run care homes after losing six in the past five years at Gargrave, Stainforth, Embsay, High Bentham and Skipton.

The closure of these homes has meant places at the remaining homes have been kept full most of the time. But problems arise when Social Services state there is no more money available.

"When we are full we manage to tick over. It's when Social Services runs out of money and keep patients in hospital that we suffer because even with two beds empty, our expenses are still as high, but income is reduced," Mr Haigh added.

This "bed-blocking" in hospitals is a known false economy because although there is no strain on Social Services, it costs the NHS around £1,200 to keep a person in hospital for a week.

Mr Haigh also stated that lack of funding from the Government was having an unfair knock-on effect on private patients. He has four private patients at Anley Hall who pay for their own care and who are themselves running out of money.

"People are allowed to have £20,000 of savings and receive Social Services help. But because Social Services haven't any more money, these people are now using these savings, which is wrong."

He also said funding differed around the country with some health authorities passing on up to £100 for nursing care, while others, including North Yorkshire, absorbed the funding into their own coffers.

Mr Haigh said that four years ago Social Services promised within two years to agree a fair price for care, but this had not happened.

Under-funding was making it increasingly difficult to carry out work on the homes, with Anley Hall needing to have at least £250,000 spent on it sometime this year to keep it at the required Government standard.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) will co-ordinate the petitions which call for more money into adult social care and upon the local authorities to pay a fair rate for the care they commission.

ICG chairman Mike Padgham stated: "The majority of care in our area is given by independent care providers, some of whom have more than 50 per cent of their clients publicly funded.

"This year the cost of providing care will go up by 6.8 per cent because of the rise in the minimum wage and increased regulation costs on inspection and Criminal Record Bureau checks."

He said for homes in Craven, North Yorkshire County Council was offering just 2.8 per cent when care homes had the additional burden of increased costs of gas, electricity and water as well as rates.

Mr Padgham added: "The care sector has been under-funded for years.

"Everyone says that they want the best possible care for vulnerable people - elderly and disabled - yet if the money to pay for it is not forthcoming then some care providers may not be able to reach the aspirations set by Government at a time when everyone wants the quality raised.

"This is a very serious situation. Care homes are continuing to close with all the distress that causes to the residents.

"The local authorities tell us they do not receive sufficient money from Government - which we accept - but we do not believe that they are taking the situation seriously enough.

"They seem to think that the problem can just be passed on to us when, as the commissioners of care, surely they have a responsibility."

He said throughout the county the number of elderly people needing care has been rising year-on-year with the number of people over 80 set to double within 30 years. There are five per cent more people aged over 85 now than a year ago and at least one in 15 of these people has dementia.

In North Yorkshire the county council has raised the eligibility criteria for care to "critical". This has meant that fewer people qualify for help with the costs.

"There is a far reaching funding crisis in the care sector. It affects many vulnerable people including adults with learning disabilities, disabled people and elderly people."

Mr Padgham added: "Care providers have united together for the first time ever in order to raise a petition to draw attention to this situation. We will take this strong message to the local authorities and we will also take it to the Government - because it's about time someone listened."