Gwynedd’s elderly are being forced out of the area communities because of a funding stand-off, Meddyg Care Group managing director Kevin Edwards claims.

He says Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) won’t cover the true cost of services provided at his Porthmadog and Criccieth care homes, and because he won’t accept the fee they’re offering, the health board is not recommending relatives send their loved ones there, and people could end up miles away from home.

In a bid to move forward, he want BCUHB to use funding toolkit, CareCubed.

Gwynedd Council use this software to set their fees, which, he says, takes into account the true cost of care in individual homes.

“CareCubed provides wholly transparent costings,” he said.

“The issue we have with BCUHB is they are not using any formally recognised costing toolkit.

“Because we won’t accept their base cost, they are not recommending our homes to Gwynedd families. They are saying ‘go and find a home which does accept our fee’ - and that could be 60 miles away.”

Mr Edwards says the difference cares homes in rural Gwynedd need, and the fee the health board is willing to pay, is between £40 and £80 per week per resident.

“BCUHB do the costings on their fee, in my view, on the back of a fag packet,” he added.

“It doesn’t seem to matter if my home is in Porthmadog and my cost base, because of the rural setting, is significantly more expensive to run - we still have to accept this base fee.

“How can our costs in a rural setting be the same as a home in an urban setting?

“Our recruitment issues are wildly more challenging than other homes, so our costs are more, and that’s why our home are more expensive to run.”

BCUHB Chief Operating Officer Tehmeena Ajmal said: “We are committed to providing care for people across North Wales as close to home as is clinically safe.

“We understand these are challenging times, and we must ensure our resources are used fairly and appropriately for all.

“Many people are supported with care packages that go well beyond our published core funding rate, based on clinical needs.

“It’s important to note we are not legally allowed to recommend which care home families should choose. We must remain fair and cannot show preference for one independent provider over another.

“We continue to admit patients into all nursing care homes in Gwynedd. Currently, there are only very small numbers of people in hospital waiting for placements in EMI (Elderly Mentally Infirm) nursing care homes.

“We are fully committed to making sure people can receive care in Welsh and—where possible—stay close to communities, families, and friends. These are all important factors when we agree on care placements and funding.

“As a region, we have reviewed a number of fee-setting tools, including CareCubed, which several local authorities have started using. We are working closely with them to review and assess this approach.”