We read a recent blog by Melanie Henwood published on the London School of Economics and Political Science website with interest.
Dr Henwood describes the current NHS continuing healthcare system as ‘anomalous, irregular, and often baffling’ which is something we have documented in numerous articles on our own blog.
In her article, Dr Henwood looks at the issues raised in the latest report from the National Audit Office. The National Audit Office (NAO) investigation into NHS continuing healthcare funding published in July 2017 explores the issues surrounding long-term care.
The author identifies several concerns, which we at Compass CHC share. These include:
- Delays in completing assessments and determinations of eligibility are common
- Receiving funding is a postcode lottery
- Inconsistency in decision making “other than the existence of a national framework there are few processes for ensuring consistency of eligibility decision-making either within or between CCGs”
According to the National Audit Office (NAO), 24,901 people waited longer than 28 days for a decision to be made regarding their eligibility for continuing healthcare funding. The national framework states that in most cases people should not wait more than 28 days. Additionally, the NAO found that the proportion of successful applications for NHS continuing healthcare funding has dropped from 34% to 29% over the past five years.
To ensure the highest prospect of success in securing NHS continuing healthcare funding, it pays dividends to receive expert advice from industry experts who have a strong track record of securing funding on behalf of their clients. With 78% of NHS professionals reporting that the NHS CHC process is ‘difficult or very difficult’ for patients and their families to understand (CHC Alliance ‘Continuing to Care Report’), it is understandable that so many patients turn to industry experts like Compass CHC for help.
To read Melanie’s concerns about the current NHS continuing healthcare funding system, click to be redirected to the London School of Economics and Political Science website.
Author: Tim Davies LLB
