Fresh evidence of a mounting backlog in claims for wrongly paid nursing care fees can be revealed today say the Welsh Conservatives.
Shadow Health Minister Andrew RT Davies AM has learned that 2,244 enquiries were received by early December 2009 from relatives in relation to nursing care fees paid for a relative but which should have been funded by the NHS before April 2003.
The South Wales Central AM said the figures could lead to even longer delays in the money being repaid.
Last month Mr Davies revealed that the Welsh NHS had paid out more than £2.6mn settling claims.
He said today:
“It is only right that the NHS reimburses relatives after the scandal of people having to sell their homes or raid their savings to fund their own care or those of elderly loved ones.
“This mounting backlog means many families will have to wait years to get their money back.
“Delays are clearly unacceptable. Ministers and local health boards should have been prepared for the large number of claims.
“The longer ministers allow this process to drag on, the more the NHS has to pay out in interest.”
