Online tool to review care homes

A new website has been launched that will allow people to compare care homes and other services across the country.

Setup by the Government, the online tool aims to help those facing the difficult choice of selecting a care home for their loved ones.

The introduction of the 'care comparison website' comes after a recent report from the Nuffield Trust highlighted a 'real gap'' in the information about health and social care providers available to the public.

Care and support minister Norman Lamb described the service as 'open, transparent and comprehensive'.

He said it would mean bad care no longer has a place to hide, ensuring better standards and quality of care across the board.

Each organisation can have its own online profile embedded in the NHS Choices website, including details on services, comments from other users and official reports from Care Quality Commission inspections.

Improving confidence over care

By reading reports and the experiences of others, people will be able to make more confident choices about their care.

Such information will also help providers to adapt and improve their service, if needed.

'Bringing together all this information will give people facing difficult decisions about care an easy way to compare local care options, putting them more in control,' added Mr Lamb.

'This new web information is a work in progress. As more providers add their details and more people comment on their profiles, there will be an even greater volume of knowledge and information available then ever before that will benefit everyone.'

Ofsted-style ratings

Health officials also intend to publish the Government's Ofsted-style ratings when they are implemented across the sector.

The ratings system, which would be modelled on the schools inspectorate, is viewed as a key way of driving up patient care across England. It would prompt those rated 'average' to seek 'good' status and those deemed 'good' to try to become 'outstanding'.

Copyright Press Association 2013