Nursing Care Deserts UK 2026 — Areas Without Adequate Nursing Home Provision

Nursing homes provide 24-hour clinical care for residents with complex medical needs. This analysis identifies local authorities where nursing home provision falls below 0.5 homes per 10,000 population — the point at which residents face meaningful barriers to accessing nursing care locally.

Key findings

Below desert threshold

With zero nursing homes

0.1

Lowest per 10k (Waltham Forest)

0.8

National average per 10k

Desert threshold: fewer than 0.5 nursing homes per 10,000 population. The national average is 0.8 per 10,000. Nursing home density is roughly a quarter of total care home density, reflecting the higher cost and staffing requirements of nursing provision.

3,751 nursing homes serve a total population of 47,631,519 across 111 local authorities.

Areas with the fewest nursing homes per capita

The 30 local authorities with the lowest nursing home density. Areas highlighted in red fall below the 0.5 per 10,000 threshold.

Rank	Local authority	Region	Population	Nursing homes	Per 10k	Weekly cost
1	Waltham Forest	London	278,100	4	0.1	£1,287
2	Haringey	London	264,100	2	0.1	£1,202
3	Southwark	London	307,700	3	0.1	£1,190
4	Tower Hamlets	London	310,300	2	0.1	£1,415
5	Newham	London	351,100	6	0.2	£1,249
6	Hackney	London	259,200	4	0.2	£1,246
7	Camden	London	210,100	5	0.2	£1,392
8	Lewisham	London	300,500	8	0.3	£1,213
9	Brent	London	339,800	9	0.3	£1,174
10	Lambeth	London	317,800	8	0.3	£1,420
11	Westminster	London	204,400	7	0.3	£1,591
12	Leicestershire	East Midlands	712,100	30	0.4	£1,318
13	Leicester	East Midlands	368,600	14	0.4	£1,535
14	Redbridge	London	311,500	12	0.4	£1,290
15	Coventry	West Midlands	369,127	15	0.4	£1,268
16	Southampton	South East	269,781	11	0.4	£1,224
17	Greenwich	London	289,100	11	0.4	£1,867
18	Ealing	London	366,000	15	0.4	£1,413
19	Tameside	North West	230,400	9	0.4	£1,392
20	Hounslow	London	292,300	12	0.4	£1,633
21	Reading	South East	174,224	7	0.4	£1,259
22	Portsmouth	South East	208,100	9	0.4	£1,067
23	Bexley	London	247,000	11	0.4	£1,502
24	Wandsworth	London	327,500	13	0.4	£1,918
25	Barking and Dagenham	London	218,900	8	0.4	£1,347
26	Hammersmith and Fulham	London	183,200	7	0.4	£1,284
27	Kensington and Chelsea	London	143,400	6	0.4	£1,422
28	East Riding of Yorkshire	Yorkshire & Humberside	342,200	17	0.5	£1,659
29	Wakefield	Yorkshire & Humberside	353,800	18	0.5	£1,775
30	Enfield	London	333,900	16	0.5	£1,262

Nursing home counts from CQC Care Directory. Population from ONS mid-year estimates. Weekly cost reflects residential care council rates from ASC-FR.

Best-served areas — most nursing homes per capita

The 10 local authorities with the highest nursing home density.

Rank	Local authority	Region	Population	Nursing homes	Per 10k	Weekly cost
1	Surrey	South East	1,196,200	165	1.4	£1,501
2	West Sussex	South East	882,800	120	1.4	£1,617
3	East Sussex	South East	552,200	78	1.4	£1,691
4	Cheshire East	North West	398,800	55	1.4	£1,318
5	Kingston upon Thames	London	168,000	23	1.4	£1,391
6	Wirral	North West	320,200	43	1.3	£886
7	Sefton	North West	279,800	35	1.3	£1,039
8	Cheshire West and Chester	North West	357,200	47	1.3	£1,476
9	Newcastle upon Tyne	North East	300,196	40	1.3	£1,386
10	Oxfordshire	South East	728,800	87	1.2	£1,356

Correlation with cost

Average weekly care costs compared between local authorities with the fewest and most nursing homes per capita.

Areas in the bottom quartile for nursing home density pay an average of £1,375/week, compared to £1,398/week in the top quartile.

Areas with more nursing homes actually charge more on average (£23/week difference). This likely reflects geographic clustering: nursing homes concentrate in areas with higher land costs and wages, such as London and the South East.

Based on 109 local authorities with both CQC nursing home data and ASC-FR cost data.

Frequently asked questions

What is a nursing care desert?

A nursing care desert is a local authority area with fewer than 0.5 nursing homes per 10,000 population. Nursing homes provide 24-hour clinical care with registered nurses on site — they serve residents with complex medical needs who cannot be supported in standard residential care. Areas without adequate nursing provision force families into longer journeys or delayed hospital discharges.

Which area has the fewest nursing homes?

Waltham Forest in London has the fewest nursing homes per capita, with 0.1 per 10,000 population (4 nursing homes for a population of 278,100). The national average is 0.8 per 10,000.

Why is nursing home availability worse than general care home availability?

Nursing homes are more expensive to operate than standard residential care homes because they require 24/7 registered nurses, specialist medical equipment, and clinical governance structures. Council fee rates often do not cover the true cost of nursing care, making it uneconomical for providers to offer nursing beds. Many nursing homes have converted to residential-only to reduce costs, further reducing supply. The NHS-funded Nursing Care contribution of £219.71/week does not fully bridge the gap.

All care costs Care deserts Dementia care guide Find a care home

How Much Does a Care Home Cost?

National averages, what's included, and how to reduce costs.

The Care Home Postcode Lottery

Why costs vary by 100% across England.

Who Pays for a Care Home?

Means test, council funding, NHS options.

Do I Have to Sell My House?

Property rules, DPAs, and alternatives.

Tools

Cost Calculator Self-Funding Guide Find a Care Home Press Pack

Data sources: CQC Care Directory for nursing home counts (Open Government Licence v3.0). ONS mid-year population estimates. NHS England ASC-FR for cost data. Analysis by TreatCompare. Desert threshold of 0.5 nursing homes per 10,000 is an editorial definition based on national distribution.