Care Homes Spending Data: Why Smarter Procurement Matters

UK care homes are facing a perfect storm of financial and operational pressures. Rising staff costs, an ageing population, and squeezed budgets mean that every penny counts as providers work to give residents the best possible care.

The Cost Pressures Facing Care Homes

The cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressures are affecting every aspect of the sector. Utilities and food costs continue to rise sharply, while property prices are adding further pressure, particularly for operators managing older, non-purpose-built facilities.

According to Grant Thornton, capital and operational spend per bed is now exceeding £3,750 per annum. For a 60-bedded nursing home, that equates to around £225,000 every year.

Staffing remains by far the largest cost. In 2024, average staff costs accounted for 56.7% of revenue. Knight Frank’s 2024 Care Homes Trading Performance Review put average weekly fees at £1,182 per bed. For a 60-bedded nursing home, this equates to an annual staff bill of £2 million before factoring in the most recent increases to the National Living Wage.

With local authority fee uplifts unlikely to match wage rises, the pressure on care home margins looks set to continue.

Consumables: A Growing but Often Overlooked Spend

While staffing dominates, consumables represent a meaningful and rising area of spend. Care homes rely heavily on products such as gloves, wipes, hygiene products, and continence supplies to deliver daily routines, infection control, and resident wellbeing.

On average, spend per resident on wipes alone is estimated at £120–£180 per year. For a 60-bed nursing home, that equates to around £9,000 annually, and across the UK sector, a total spend of £45–£60 million per year (NHS Supply Chain).

It’s a figure that is often underestimated, but given ongoing price volatility and packaging changes, wipes and other consumables are an important area where smarter procurement can create measurable savings.

While we’ve observed headline competitor increases and experience in supply chain delays, Quotex have consistently met delivery and pricing commitments each year.

Customer Success Story: Delivering Savings Without Compromise

Against this backdrop, Quotex Systems Ltd has launched its Softflex Wipe range, designed to give care homes and distributors a high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective alternative.

The range includes multiple sizes and formats:

• Standard
• Soft
• Super Soft
• Washcloth wipes

One of our large national distributor partners recently adopted the Softflex range. By switching to Quotex wipes, they achieved a 15–20% saving, which has been passed directly onto their care home customers and agreed an annual hold on the price. Crucially, these savings were delivered without any reduction in quality or interruption to supply.

Looking Ahead

Quotex will be rolling out the new Softflex Wipe range across the UK imminently. At a time when care homes are navigating rising staff costs, tightening budgets, and growing demand, securing reliable, high-quality consumables at the right price is one of the most effective ways to protect margins and reinvest savings where they are most needed.

 You can view our full product range here: Products – Quotex Systems Ltd

And for more information on how Quotex can help your organisation achieve savings, simply fill in your contact details here and a member of our team will be in touch.