Residential care homes rapped over 'unfair fees'

Residential care homes faced strong criticism today over their "unfair" fees.

An investigation by a government watchdog said that about two thirds of care homes had contracts "that were either unfair or unclear". This meant that vulnerable, elderly residents were often being saddled with extra bills.

The Office of Fair Trading, which conducted the 10-month inquiry, said it would clamp down on homes that were ripping off residents.

The report into the £8billion market was triggered by a " supercomplaint" from consumer body Which?. There are more than 15,000 care homes in Britain with 400,000 mostly elderly residents.

The OFT also found "significant problems" for residents looking to complain about poor treatment.

It called for a "national gateway" to be set up providing information about care homes. There should also be a more "user-friendly" complaints procedure.

OFT chairman Sir John Vickers said: "Choosing a care home is a life-changing decision often made under difficult circumstances. That makes it all the more important that good information is readily available."