Published: 22 June 2006
End to 'post-code' lottery for continuing care
The Government is set to eliminate the 'postcode lottery' for NHS continuing care by creating one national system for everyone in England.
A consultation has been launched (closing date 22 September 2006) with the final objective of creating consistent access to free continuing care by proposing clear national policies for eligibility and assessment processes.
They will also abolish different nursing bands for free nursing care - ending the need for over 130,000 nursing assessments a year, freeing up more time for nurses and cutting down on repeated patient assessments.
The Government claims these steps will make the system faster and more convenient for patients and allow for tens of millions worth of administrative savings.
Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis said:
"This new system should result in considerable cost benefits in terms of reduction in nursing and administrative activity - potentially delivering 10s of millions of pounds in savings to the NHS and reducing the administrative hoops that service users have to jump through before they receive the care they need.”
As part of the plans anyone needing high levels of healthcare outside hospital would be assessed first for NHS continuing care and, if this were ruled out, they would then be considered for free NHS nursing care.
Currently 21,000 people receive free NHS continuing care, while around 70% of care home residents already have some or all of their personal care costs paid by the public purse.
The National Framework has been drawn up in consultation with voluntary groups and patient/user groups to ensure that the patient is at the centre of the assessment and review process, and to ensure that the views of patients and their carers are listened to and incorporated into formulating the framework.
Further information:
Consultation: National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS funded nursing care in England
White paper: Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services
NHS funding for long term care - Health Service Ombudsman for England
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