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Continuing Healthcare

Continuing Healthcare – Covid-19 update

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to temporarily change the functions carried out by the Continuing Healthcare Team to enable us to support rapid discharge from acute hospitals and maintain care being delivered in the community.

Changes in NHS England guidance and legislation (Coronavirus Act 2020) have removed timeframes for Continuing Healthcare Assessments and appeals. Continuing Healthcare Checklists will not be undertaken at the present time and Continuing Healthcare/Funded Nursing Care reviews will not be routinely undertaken.

We have provided information below to explain the temporary changes in process and kindly request that you only contact the Continuing Healthcare Team with urgent enquiries at this time.

How will the temporary change in Continuing Healthcare processes affect me?

  • If you are in your own home, your existing care arrangements will remain in place and be funded in the usual way; in some circumstances increased support needs will be funded by the NHS if it prevents a hospital admission
  • If you are currently in a care home awaiting a Continuing Healthcare assessment and are in receipt of NHS Stockport CCG Discharge to Assess funding, this will continue
  • If you have been discharged from hospital, on or after the 19th March 2020, your care needs will be funded by the NHS until Continuing Healthcare and Social Care assessments resume
  • If your care is currently funded by Continuing Healthcare and you are awaiting a 3 or 12 month review, your review will be now be held at a later unspecified date. If there has been a change to your care needs, requiring an increase in support or you have concerns regarding the quality of care being provided, please contact the Continuing Healthcare Team on Tel: 0161 426 9906
  • If you have appealed against a Continuing Healthcare eligibility decision, please note that timeframes for responding to your appeal have been removed and we will process your appeal as soon as we are able
  • If you wish to appeal a Continuing Healthcare eligibility decision made within the last 6 months, please contact the Continuing Healthcare Team by letter, email or telephone; please note that timeframes for responding to your appeal have been removed and we will process your appeal as soon as we are able

Next steps

  • If you are currently awaiting a Continuing Healthcare Assessment, we will contact you when assessments have resumed.
  • If you are in a care home, receiving NHS funding care following a hospital discharge on or after the 19th March 2020, you will be assessed for Continuing Healthcare funding when assessments resume; NHS Stockport CCG will continue to fund your care until the assessment process is completed.
  • If you are in your own home, receiving NHS funding care following a hospital discharge on or after the 19th March 2020, you may need to contribute to the cost of your when NHS funding ceases. If it is felt that you may have a Continuing Healthcare need, a Continuing Healthcare Checklist will be completed when assessments resume

For further information;

NHS Stockport CCG is responsible for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care.

Personal Budgets for Health

What is a Personal Budget?

A personal budget is one part of a personalised approach to supporting children and young people with additional needs. It is intended to support the health and well being needs of that person, allowing them/ their parents or carers to be in control of the care they receive.

A personal budget is an amount of money identified by the local authority / health services (Clinical Commissioning Group, (CCG)) that can be used to support:

  • A child or young person’s identified social and care needs
  • A child or young person’s identified health and wellbeing needs
  • A child or young person’s identified educational needs (where the child or young person has an Education Health and Care Plan
  • Other services such as travel assistance or a specific piece of equipment such as a wheelchair

Personal budgets for health needs are called Personal Health Budgets.

A personal budget is planned and agreed between you (or someone who represents you), and the agency (local authority/CCG) who has assessed your needs.

A personal budget is not ‘new money’, but it may mean spending money differently so that you have more choice and control over the support that you need.

Personal Budgets are an alternative method of delivering care and support to meet eligible needs and agreed outcomes. It enables ownership of planning by choosing how and when you receive support and can be used instead of, or alongside, the services already provided to you by the CCG or local council.

Who is a Personal Health Budget for?

Personal Health Budgets are available to those with eligible needs and  are one option to support people to maintain independence and control of their lives.

NHS England guidance states that the people who fall under the following have the right to have a Personal Health Budget, and be offered a direct payment:

  • Adults eligible for Continuing Healthcare
  • Children and young people eligible for Continuing Care
  • If you have been clinically assessed for a wheelchair, you can be eligible for a Personal Wheelchair Budget

You can find out more about personal budgets for health here or in an easy-read format here.

For information and guidance on personal budgets for children and young people with education, health and social care needs, go to the Stockport Local Offer site.

Personal Health Budgets for people who are eligible for NHS Continuing Care and Continuing Health Care

What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?

NHS Continuing Healthcare in the name given to a package of services which is arranged and funded by the NHS for people outside hospital with ongoing health needs.  Continuing Healthcare can be provided in any setting, in a care home, or at home.

If the person is in their own home, this means that the NHS will pay for healthcare (eg services from a community nurse or specialist therapist and personal care (eg help with bathing, dressing and laundry).  In a care home, the NHS pays for the care home fees.

Anyone assessed as requiring a certain level of care need can get NHS Continuing Healthcare.  If the person’s overall care needs show that your primary need is health, the person should qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare.

The primary health need is assessed by looking at all of the person’s care needs and relating them to four key indicators:

  • Nature– the type of condition or treatment required and its quality and quantity
  • Complexity– symptoms that interact, making them difficult to manage or control.
  • Intensity – one or more needs which are so severe that they require regular interventions
  • Unpredictability – unexpected changes in condition that are difficult to manage and present a risk to you or to others.