CHC : RATIONED ? High Time To Ask Some Obvious Questions ???

[Chris From The Gulag]

One can only speculate ?

If one was to judge by present policies .... ???

( Food banks ... always a good marker ? )

Database ?

I would gladly match mine against theirs ... now over 10 MB ... just as reference for postings on this forum.

Most important one ?

https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support- ... reak-36397

It really is our bible ... and explains one hell of a lot !!!

BACK TO THREAD ... the continuing rationing of CHC / NHS Continuing Healthcare !

[Rosemary_1706]

Sorry to have deviated!

[Chris From The Gulag]

Deviation ?

Love the word ... may we all occasionly ... deviate !

( A Number 23 badge for today ... me thinks ? )

" Chris ! " ... " Yeh , and now for something completely different ... back to the thread ! "

[Chris From The Gulag]

MPs urge GPs to signpost patients to continuing healthcare.

GPs are not effectively informing patients about continuing healthcare (CHC), meaning some are going without the care they need, MPs have said.

A new report from the Public Accounts Committee said this comes as ‘too many people are waiting too long’ and eligible patients are not receiving essential care.

The CHC package of continuing care is available free of charge on the NHS to adult patients with complicated, intense of unpredictable healthcare needs.

However MPs found that around two-thirds of patients did not know about CHC until very late in their healthcare journey, and only 3% of patients found out about CHC from their GP.

'Often health and social care professionals are not signposting CHC to patients; for example only around 3% of people find out about it through their GP,' the report said.

They said healthcare professionals indicated that the CHC system is too complex, and 78% said that it is difficult for patients and their families to navigate.

The committee recommended that the lack of awareness should be improved by establishing where the awareness gaps are within patient and healthcare professional groups, acting on them and reporting back by next April on how the issue has been overcome.

Another major problem was the length of time people had to wait for a decision once they had applied, the report said.

While the national framework states that in most cases people should not wait more than 28 days for a decision, one-third of patients had to wait longer, and about 10% of CCGs stated that on average it took longer than 100 days.

In this case, the report recommended that CCGs must be held to account for delays in assessments and any further delays once funding has been agreed.

[Rosemary_1706]

By the time you get to needing CHC aren't you more likely to be under care of hospital consultant or social services, rather than your GP, most of whom don't make home visits?

[bowlingbun]

Mum's GP told me she was unlikely to see another Christmas, then refused to refer her for CHC, saying if he did, then he'd have to do that for everyone in the nursing home. It would bankrupt the NHS! GP's are "gate keeping" access to CHC. My mum had an ulcer so large on her chest that she needed an A4 size dressing, so deep that you could see her ribs at the bottom, according to the Head of Care at the nursing home. She paid £40,000 in under a year for her care. I did my best to get it back, paid a solicitor £10,000 in fees, but finally realised that I was heading for a total breakdown, and so for one of the very few times in my life, I gave up fighting.
This is the reality for many.

[Chris From The Gulag]

Far too many are slipping through the net.

How many gp surgeries " Offer " CHC / NHS Continuing Healthcare to patients as a possible solution ?

Or , do most rely on reports coming back when one of their patients enters a NHS hospital ?

Should patients need to enquire of their gp or ... should the gp recommend such a service to patients ?

Are gps told NOT to offer such a service ... even admit such a service exists ????

( A bit like walking into a pub , all the good stuff is under the counter , one has to ask the barmaid for it ?

Even then , if she doesn't like your face , you'll will not get !)

[bowlingbun]

I wrote to my MP about CHC being a postcode lottery, having seen the statistics. He didn't even reply.
Four years later, the Consumers Association magazine, Which, highlighted the problem again.
It would seem logical that the area with the highest population of elderly in the country had the highest ratio of people receiving CHC. Not so.
If you live in the North West you are far more likely to get it than if you live in the New Forest.

[Chris From The Gulag]

Article contains a table that does not transfer over :

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/04/wh ... e-lottery/

NHS care funding in England is a postcode lottery, says Which ?

Our analysis shows that the number of people who receive full funding for continuing care costs varies dramatically around England.

Those with the most complex medical needs still face a postcode lottery of getting their full care costs outside hospital paid by NHS ‘continuing healthcare’ funding in England, Which? analysis has found.

The latest 2017-18 figures show that there are huge differences between regions when it comes to the proportion of patients whose care costs are fully funded.

NHS funders (known as local clinical commissioning groups, or CCGs) for South Reading funded 8.78 patients per 50,000 of the population, while Salford CCG funded 25 times as many at 220.38 per 50,000 of the population.

Even more confusingly, Stockport, in the same NHS region as Salford, funded less than 32 people per 50,000.

NHS demands continuing care savings

Although the Department of Health (which sets the criteria) insists that there are no quotas or caps on access, NHS England’s efficiency plan includes asking CCGs to make £855m savings on CHC and NHS-funded nursing care by 2020-21.

This is despite a 45% predicted five year growth in costs.

For patients and relatives, there have been some sudden losses of funding.

Jean Jarvis, who has severe dementia, got continuing care funding after a lengthy appeal against her CCG. It was withdrawn years later after a review, leaving her daughter footing a £8,000-per-month bill at little notice.

Jean’s daughter, Gill Jarvis, said: ‘My mum’s needs have actually worsened. I’ve been given no real explanation and the lack of humanity has hit me quite hard.’

Huge difference in waits for decision

In 2012, a national framework was brought in to tackle the significant variation in funding across the country, but the issues persist.

The situation hasn’t improved since the current system of funding allocated by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) was set up four years earlier. The same areas are still highest and lowest for funding.

The national framework states that in most cases people should not wait more than 28 days for a decision to be made about whether they’re eligible for continuing care funding.

Yet, Which? analysis reveals a huge variation in how long referrals are taking. In North Lincolnshire, only 2% of people had a decision within the recommended 28 days, whereas this was 100% in Ashford.

A new National Framework has now been published with implementation due on 1 October 2018. It won’t change eligibility criteria, but it should provide greater clarity, including for staff.

[butterfly68]

I found this letter posted on CareToBeDifferent about the NHS Continuing Health Care Scandal, where I include it in full, as cannot get a seperate link for it. The actual website is https://www.facebook.com/CareToBeDifferent, if you want to check out the responses;

'THE NHS SCANDAL OF CONTINUING HEALTHCARE (CHC)

Personal for the Rt Honourable Matt Hancock
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Copy to:

The Daily Telegraph
BBC News
ITV News
Sky News

Dear Mr Hancock,

You have not answered my open letter to you dated 14 April 2019 concerning the NHS scandal of Continuing Healthcare (CHC). Multi-source evidence shows that over the last five years (possibly longer) the NHS has unlawfully denied thousands of old, ill and vulnerable people the healthcare funding to which they were entitled - a figure that runs into £billions. Given this disgraceful state of affairs, I believe it is in the public interest for you to personally comment on this issue, not least because you are now a candidate to be the next Prime Minister. I believe your predecessor, Jeremy Hunt, should also come under similar public scrutiny.

As you know, I have also written to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police (7 May 2019), making an allegation of 'Misconduct in Public Office' against Simon Stevens, the CEO of the NHS. I have had a response from her private office stating: " The Commissioner has read your letter and asked the Commander of Specialist Crime, to respond on her behalf". A DCI from the Special Enquiry team has now been given conduct of the case.

I have re-attached both of my letters and also copied them to the Daily Telegraph (see their articles below), the BBC, ITV and Sky News in the hope that they pick up on the scale of this national scandal, which in financial terms is probably the biggest in the history of the NHS. I have also published this note on social media, where to date 7569 people have signed a petition calling for a Public Enquiry, stating that the unlawful mismanagement of Continuing Healthcare by the NHS has "left families emotionally and financially devastated."

Yours sincerely,

Philip Mathias
Rear Admiral (Rtd)'


In addition I include details of the Petition mentioned, please sign it.....

Petition:

Start a public enquiry into NHS Continuing Healthcare

CHC funding is mismanaged by Clinical Commissioning Groups leaving families emotionally and financially devastated when they should be spending quality time with loved ones who, as enshrined in law, should have healthcare free at the point of delivery.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/238047