Private sector dominates home help in west

The Western Trust and the South Eastern Trust are the only two health authorities in Northern Ireland where domiciliary care is dominated by the private and voluntary sectors.

The Minister revealed 2,288 people were receiving statutory home help whilst 2,551 were receiving independent home help in the Western Trust during a survey week last year. Up to 390 were receiving care from both sectors.

Only in the South Eastern Trust is this pattern repeated. Everywhere else statutory care dominates.

During the same survey week 14,520 people throughout Northern Ireland were receiving statutory home help whilst 11,884 were receiving help from the independent sector.

Mr Poots explained that the information related to the survey week September 18-24, 2011.

He stated: “During the survey week in 2011, HSC Trusts provided domiciliary care services for 23,522 clients. 14,520 clients received domiciliary care services from the statutory sector, 11,884 clients received domiciliary care services from the independent sector (this information cannot be split by private and voluntary providers) and 2,882 clients received domiciliary care services from both sectors.”