A BITTER row over care homes in Newcastle has finally reached the end of the line.
Yesterday a judge told Newcastle City Council it cannot appeal against a ruling over the amount it has to pay providers of elderly people’s care.
It brings to an end a long-running row which has cost £150,000 in taxpayers’ money.
Last night Care North East, which represents many of the affected private care homes, criticised the council for continuing its fight in the face of a judge’s advice.
Simon Beckett, chairman of Care North East in Newcastle, said: “We are very pleased that this needless, continuing appeal exercise is now at an end and that justice has prevailed in respect of the actual costs of care.
“We undertake to be co-operative in now moving this matter forward, but the officials at the council who we are dealing with have to accept this reality of the cost of care and must reward quality accordingly.”
The council said it had been looking for clarification from the courts of what needs to be taken into account in the cost of care.
A spokesperson said: “We are, of course, disappointed by the decision. We believe it will have serious implications for other councils across the country who are currently going through the same process.
“We will now begin the fee-setting process again. This will include consulting with care home providers and all relevant parties to ensure that the resulting fees are fair to both sides.”
The council expects to be saddled with both its and Care North East’s legal costs, amounting to an estimated £150,000.
However, Care North East has previously said the costs, which are still being calculated, could end up higher.
It also means going back to the drawing board for the council’s social care chiefs and care home bosses, as they start the process of negotiating fees again.
The council will have to pay back cash to care homes which accepted the former low-fee arrangement.
The row started when the council tried to continue a freeze on the amount it pays care homes to look after elderly people in the city.
It told providers who wouldn’t agree that they would be dropped from the council’s books, saying it couldn’t afford to fund private companies’ profits.
But Care North East brought a judicial review against the council and a judge ruled the council was in the wrong.
Despite being denied leave to appeal by the judge, the council made a written submission to the Appeal Court which was rejected.
And now its final oral appeal – asking legal minds to take into account other similar cases across the country – has also failed.
