Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the insolvency of NRS Healthcare Limited on (a) patient care, (b) local authorities’ duty of care and (c) relevant contracted businesses.

The principal responsibility for ensuring the provision of disability aids and community equipment lies with local authorities (LAs), as does the responsibility to maintain continuity of care for those who are eligible.

Nonetheless, the Department has played a significant role in supporting LAs and the National Health Service in the period leading up to and following the insolvency of NRS Healthcare (NRS).

Working closely with NHS England and the Department-funded Partners in Care and Health programme, the Department ensured that information was shared across LAs and local NHS partners and enabled co-ordinated discussions with NRS and alternative providers to ensure the continuity of care and to minimise disruption as alternative arrangements were finalised.

The Department also made funding available to enable the Official Receiver to continue trading NRS for a limited period, once it became insolvent, in order to enable LAs to arrange alternative provision, to minimise the potential impacts on vulnerable individuals.

The Department continues to monitor the situation closely and will support LAs to learn lessons and consider the implications for future resilience in this market.