RESIDENTS of Sidmouth nursing homes who are owed thousand of pounds by Devon Primary Care Trust will receive the money, it was revealed yesterday. As reported in the Herald the PCT has assessed residents of both Holmesley and Sidmouth Nursing Home for Fun

RESIDENTS of Sidmouth nursing homes who are owed thousand of pounds by Devon Primary Care Trust will receive the money, it was revealed yesterday.

As reported in the Herald the PCT has assessed residents of both Holmesley and Sidmouth Nursing Home for Funded Nursing Care (FNC)- a payment of �103.80 a week per eligible resident.

But many have not yet been told if they are eligible.

In Sidmouth Nursing Home this means residents are footing the bill in the meantime.

In one case, a resident who was told last year she was eligible for funding, died in January without seeing a penny of it.

Evelyn Duncun, 94, died in January having been a resident at the nursing home since July 2008.

Paula McConnell, Evelyn's daughter, said: "She was totally immobile and required nursing care continually. We as a family have had to fund the nursing care.

"I think it is very unfair for families who are going through the time of having loved ones in a nursing situation to be ignored. It is their legal right to provide the money but we have been ignored."

At Holmesley Nursing Home there are 18 residents on the books- three who have now died- awaiting assessments or decisions for FNC.

Steve Barber, owner of the nursing home, has written to Exeter MP, Ben Bradshaw and East Devon MP, Hugo Swire in a bid to remedy the problem.

He said seven residents were assessed last year but no decision had yet to be made.

He said: "The problem we have got is there isn't any movement from the PCT.

"A lady died last November who had been here since May 2007 and her assessment hadn't been done."

Mr Barber predicted that the nursing home might be owed around �50,000, if half of the residents were eligible for FNC.

Yvonne Le Brun, of Devon PCT, said as a result of new guidance for continuing healthcare, FNC has been affected.

"Applications for FNC from people living in Sidmouth and the surrounding area have been particularly affected because of the large proportion of older people living there - staffing shortages have also contributed to the delays over assessments.

"We would like to offer our sincere apologies to the families of patients, and to home owners who are still waiting for either assessment or for notification of a decision.

"We will target additional resources at the nursing homes affected, to address this problem as quickly as possible.

"I would like to reassure local people that FNC will be paid for everyone who is eligible, together with back payments as appropriate. This includes reimbursement to family members where the claimant has died. Payments to Mrs Duncan's estate are being processed and will be paid within two weeks.