Plans to bring controversial '˜carebnb' to Peterborough

Paul Gaudin founded CareRooms which is behind the controversial ‘Carebnb’ model that is due to begin shortly in Cambridgeshire, but the entrepreneur is “very keen” to extend the business here.

Mr Gaudin, whose idea for CareRooms came from seeing his dad’s long struggle with Parkinsons, was the co-founder of food manufacturer New York Bagel Company Ltd which quit its city base in Orton Southgate in 2005.

Watching his dad decline every time he was in hospital, and seeing his mum struggle to cope following his death, persuaded Mr Gaudin to set up CareRooms which sees homeowners earn £50 a day for allowing a recovering patient to stay in their home.

He said: “The patient can come to us, we can look after them for a couple of weeks - it frees up a bed in hospital and helps social services. We’re helping patients to get back home as soon as possible.”

The model was originally due to begin in Essex before Southend Hospital pulled out, while Labour MPs have also heavily criticised it.

Under the plan patients are monitored digitally 24/7 and can ask for a video GP consultation, while they will also have videos played to them to show them how to carry out their rehabilitation.

Homeowners will be DBS checked and trained but will not carry out any care. So far hundreds of homeowners have registered their interest in taking part. Patients can pay to move into the spare room, or a local authority can pay if it chooses to, with Mr Gaudin stating that he expects to break even after three years.

He added: “We are better than anything else out there. You do not get a video doctor or 24-hour monitoring in any other environment.”

Cambridgeshire County Council said it had offered advice to CareRooms on the “health and social care landscape” but that there are “no immediate plans to work together.”