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CMA warns care homes they could face enforcement action

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Care providers may be forced to pay out compensation if they continue to bill relatives for weeks following a resident’s death, it was recently reported.

A report collated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns about a number of instances in which loved ones have continued to be billed even after the resident has passed away.

In some of the cases uncovered, fees have continued to be charged for up to a month after the person’s death, often after a room has been cleared and another resident has moved in.

The CMA has called on homes to look at their current procedures and make changes where necessary.

It has warned that it will not hesitate to take action if providers are flouting consumer protection laws and that compensation may be paid to families in those cases where a care home has clearly fallen short of its obligations.

Janet Morrison, the chief executive of the charity Independent Age, said: “The care home sector urgently needs reform and the CMA's findings add further evidence of the need to put in place a long-term solution, while also addressing the needs of older people in receipt of care today.”

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