Continuing healthcare

The English national framework for NHS continuing healthcare came into force on 1 October 2007. People who qualify are entitled to care paid for by the NHS, for which they do not have to pay, rather than social care which is means-tested. Most of those who qualify need Nursing home care. It is in the interests of local Social Services Departments to establish entitlement to continuing healthcare as this relieves them of any financial responsibility. This system has existed in one form or another since the creation of the NHS.

Payments until 2013 were administered by Primary Care Trusts and this was transferred to Clinical Commissioning Groups. Many CCGs found towards the end of 2014 that they were in financial difficulties facing the combination of an ageing population with complex health needs and increasingly expensive care packages.

In order to qualify a comprehensive assessment of the person's care needs must be carried out by a multidisciplinary team, including relevant specialist and non-specialist assessments. An eligible person must establish that they have complex medical condition and substantial and ongoing care needs. The framework replaced PCT's individual policies for assessing eligibility for continuing care and local care planning and review processes with the intention that the same criteria would be used throughout England. Funding already in place may be withdrawn following a joint reassessment of health and social care needs. A CCG’s decision that someone is not eligible can be appealed through local resolution and then by an Independent Review Panel through NHS England. The final opportunity to challenge a decision is through the ombudsman. The decision can be challenged on grounds of process or application of the eligibility criteria.

In October 2014 the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group found they were seeing an average of 34 CHC claims each month and planned to save up to £4.5 million by reviewing the decision making thresholds for these claims. It also aimed to bring the prices paid into line with other areas and possibly bring assessment of claims which are currently carried out by community providers back in house.

On 15 March 2012 the Department of Health announced a deadline of 30 September 2012 for individuals to request an assessment of eligibility for Continuing Healthcare funding, for cases during the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2011.

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