Use of available care home beds is high across England, with specialist nursing beds in shorter supply, according to new quarterly statistics published today.
Care home occupancy across England remained high in the three months to May 2026, with significant regional variation and continued pressure on vacancies, according to figures published today by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The Adult social care provider statistics quarterly update to May 2026 shows that 86.1 per cent of all care home beds were occupied in the week ending 14 May 2026, based on returns from 93 per cent of care home providers in England.
This is a slight increase on rates recorded in May last year, when data was recorded monthly, which showed that 85.7 per cent of total care home beds were occupied.
Occupancy by vacancy type
Vacancy data shows that nursing vacancies remain more constrained than residential vacancies, with fewer beds available for people with more complex needs.
The quarterly data indicate that vacancies suitable for specialist nursing and dementia care continue to account for a smaller proportion of total vacancies, with less than ten per cent of beds available (9.8 per cent), compared to 11.1 per cent of vacancies for non-specialist residential beds and 10.6 per cent non-specialist nursing care places available.
Regional variation
Occupancy levels varied sharply by region. London recorded the highest average occupancy at 90.6 per cent, followed by the North East at between 87.3 per cent and 88.8 per cent, and the North West at 87.4 to 87.9 per cent, according to the statistics.
The South East and South West both reported occupancy levels around or slightly above the national average, at approximately 85 per cent to 86 per cent.
By contrast, the East Midlands recorded lower occupancy of around 82.2 per cent to 82.5 per cent, while Yorkshire and the Humber averaged around 84.3 per cent, indicating relatively greater spare capacity in those regions.
At the local authority level, the data shows that areas such as Sunderland and Southwark were consistently operating at occupancy levels above 90 per cent, while Rutland and Slough recorded rates below three-quarters (75 per cent), underlining the scale of local variation within the national picture.
Bed type
The figures show higher pressure on nursing provision. Nursing beds were occupied at between 88 per cent and 91per cent nationally, compared with 82 per cent to 86 per cent for non‑specialist residential beds, the data shows.
London reported the tightest nursing capacity, with admittable vacancy rates of just 6.5 per cent to 6.9 per cent, compared with 14 per cent to 15.5 per cent in the East Midlands.
Non‑admittable vacancies, such as beds unavailable due to staffing or refurbishment, remained relatively low at around 3 per cent nationally.
