Nearly 10,000 care home places for the elderly and disabled have been lost in a year, bringing the total decline since 1996 to 89,000, an independent survey showed yesterday.

Government Response: Department of Health

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We do not accept the view that an increase in number of older people will inevitably result in an increase in demand for places in care homes."

Party Response: Liberal Democrat

Sandra Gidley MP Liberal Democrat spokeperson for older people said:"The care home sector is in meltdown yet the government sits idly by. 

"While Ministers twiddle their thumbs, the victims of these closures are vulnerable elderly people whose lives are lost through the trauma of an eviction from what they thought was their home for life.

"The shortage of good quality care homes has a knock-on effect on the NHS. Record numbers of care home closures have created a vicious circle in the health and social care sector.

"The government mantra is choice, but choice is denied to older people.  Stephen Ladyman must take personal responsibility for the decline in care home places and consequent reduction in choice available to older people."

Stakeholder Response: Forum of Private Business

Alison Beer, Care Sector adviser at FPB, said: "Research we conducted some time ago suggested that care homes in the private sector weren't receiving the funding enjoyed by their local authority-run competitors. Despite vigorous campaigning we are saddened to see that little seems to have changed.

"It is difficult enough for private care homes to compete on a level footing due to the increased costs and workload that recent changes in regulation have brought to the sector, yet the shortfall being created by the reduction of private facilities isn't being taken up by local authority provision.

"Our main fear is that central government funding, made available to local authorities, is failing to reach the areas where it is needed most.

"Whether this is because such funding is not 'ring fenced' or because local authorities are being underfunded is open to question.

"What isn't open to question, however, is the fact that the provision for caring for the most vulnerable in society seems to be in decline."

Stakeholder Response: BUPA

Mark Ellerby, managing director of BUPA Care Services said: “The loss of a further 10,000 care home beds is bad news for Britain’s older people but the lack of investment in new care homes, with only 76 new care homes registered, spells worse for the future.

“With occupancy levels already at 92 percent, there will not be sufficient care home places to care for