Giving patients greater control over personal health budgets.
Care Minister Caroline Dinenage has revealed plans to allow people in receipt of NHS Continuing Healthcare to have greater control over their personal health budgets.
The move comes as pressure has mounted on the Government to bring reforms to the NHS Continuing Healthcare system after months of stories on the lack of awareness about NHS Continuing Healthcare as well as the struggles people have faced in trying to secure the fully funded care they are entitled to. Last month, The Guardian revealed that people feared they would be forced into care homes against their will as an attempt to reduce the expense of their NHS Continuing Healthcare packages.
The decision to give NHS Continuing Healthcare funding recipients greater control over their personal health budgets is designed to give people more say over their care. This will allow patients to employ their own carers, buy equipment and enrol in social and health events such as exercise classes.
It is hoped that this move will improve the quality of life for patients who often feel isolated and frustrated by the current system.
Why greater change is still needed
The pressure to improve NHS Continuing Healthcare funding process is still present, and it is hoped that Jeremy Hunt will give greater details of how the system will be reformed in the summer, as previously indicated, as based on anecdotal evidence from clients and their experiences of the process, significant changes for the better are most certainly needed. Given the UK’s ageing population, the demand for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding is set to increase but there has been little indication as yet that it will receive the full consideration it requires to remain sustainable in its current form.
There has to be long term action to ensure that the system is sustainable. This is a welcome move but it is just one of a series of actions which are required, as indicated earlier this year by the Public Accounts Committee report warned that NHS Continuing Healthcare funding needed greater investment to remain as it is.
What to do if you have concerns about your NHS Continuing Healthcare package
If you have concerns regarding your current NHS Continuing Healthcare package contact Just Caring Legal today. Just Caring Legal specialises in NHS Continuing Healthcare funding and you can have a free initial consultation with Rosalind who will tell you the strength of your case and how best to proceed.
Call us now on 0191 556 1078 or email us at [email protected]