PRIME Minister Tony Blair has come under fire after a Worcestershire care home was forced to spend £30,000 upgrading a "perfectly adequate" heating system.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff said new care home standards and regulations introduced by the Government were placing enormous strain on home owners.

Speaking in a Commons exchange with Mr Blair, he warned some owners may opt to leave the care home sector rather than spend thousands of pounds meeting the new guidelines.

He gave the example of Dorset House in Droitwich, which has had to spend £30,000 on heating improvements.

The home is carrying out the work - but Mr Luff said others may choose not to do so and close their doors.

This will lead to a reduction in care home places, with elderly people having to stay in hospital - "blocking beds" - because they have nowhere else to go.

Mr Luff challenged the Prime Minister to admit that the problems of the sector were caused by his Government's own policies.

"Last Friday, I visited a care home in my constituency that is having to spend £30,000 to improve a perfectly adequate heating system," he said.

"Will the Prime Minister please revisit that policy before the care homes sector descends into complete crisis?"

Mr Blair said he did not agree with Mr Luff's analysis and insisted it was important for homes to have "proper care standards".

"Care homes' biggest problem is that they do not believe the fee levels are high enough, when they are often sitting on highly valuable real estate," Mr Blair said.

Afterwards, Mr Luff said: "Tony Blair's response shows he is just out of touch with the real impact of his proposals.

"Changing locks, altering windows, installing new heating systems and making arbitrary alterations to room sizes are just some of the things care homes are having to do to stay in business.

"The bills are just too high for many homes and we are losing high quality care places as a result."