Sandwell Council 'can’t protect care homes from price hikes' as apron cost upped by 10,000 per cent
Sandwell Council bosses have admitted there is little they can do about companies price gouging care homes which desperately need personal protective equipment during the Covid -19 outbreak.
The admission comes after a Wednesbury-based care provider reported it had been quoted £2 for a single plastic throwaway apron that normally retails for two pence – an increase of nearly 10,000 per cent.
Awarding Care, which supports around 170 people living in their own homes, said it had seen massive increases in the cost of the life-saving equipment.
The news outraged local councillor Elaine Costigan who reported the case to Sandwell Council's Trading Standards.
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But Sandwell Council leader Councillor Yvonne Davies has said that while Sandwell has powers to deal with overcharging by shops, transactions between companies are not regulated by local authorities.
Commenting on the steps officers have taken to enforce new lock down laws, she said: “Suppliers of care homes are different as this falls outside the scope of consumer protection – these are business-to-business transactions rather than a business-to-consumer ones, so consumer legislation does not apply. ”
Explaining the council was working with the Competitions & Markets Authority which has set-up a task-force to help tackle firms suspected of exploiting companies during the outbreak, she added: “The evidence gathered will help them advise the Government on emergency legislation if existing powers cannot do enough to protect consumers throughout this crisis.
“I have also raised the issue of profiteering with our MPs who are raising this issue with the Government.
“The advice to all care homes and community-based services is that they can make requests for PPE direct to the National Distribution line. We are encouraging all of our providers to do this which is in line with national guidance.
“Care homes are also being advised on how to source emergency supplies of PPE nationally and through the council in an emergency.”
Any consumer or business who has been subject to vast overcharging is encouraged to report it to the CMA by visiting www.gov.uk/government/collections/cma-covid-19-response.
Any consumer concerns should also be reported to Trading Standards on 03454 040506.
