Thousands died waiting for NHS funding decision

This is outrageous and I would have wished to know what the CCGs and CHC are doing about it.

I myself am not sure who is worse Adult Social Care or CHC as both are short of funding to provide care, but the funding aspect should not have any relationship to the process of assessing the care needs.

The funding for care needs to be urgently attended to, because the demand will continue to rise, due to persons living longer, persons withing longer with more disability needs due to the advances in medical science and the increasing population.

If care needs are not going to be available why go to the lengths in extending life.

Nobody cares especially this Government who are doing all they can to extend suffering and increasing the rate of death.

This they are doing by limiting funds for care and also restricting benefits for those who are in need.

If I did not know better I would assume that creating circumstances which increases the risk of death is in fact Government Policy.

In fact I do not know better so it could well be Government Policy, as if people do die there will be less requiring care and also benefits.

This could be classed as Governmental Euthanasia

Research shows huge postcode differences in NHS continuing healthcare | DisabledGo News and Blog

New research has shown that some people in England with complex health and social care needs can be up to 25 times more likely to get their care costs covered than those living in other parts of the country.

The new research by Which? magazine shows a postcode lottery in access to funding under the NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC) programme, which provides long-term NHS funding for care outside hospital.

The worst-performing clinical commissioning group (CCG) was South Reading (since merged with other CCGs into the new Berkshire West CCG), which funded 8.78 patients per 50,000 of the population, while Salford funded more than 220 people per 50,000.

In Stockport (31.76 per 50,000), service-users were almost seven times less likely to receive NHS CHC than those 10 miles away in Salford.

Which? also found that nearly all areas were failing to meet Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) national guidance, which says that in most cases people should not wait more than 28 days for a decision on eligibility for NHS CHC.

Disability News Service reported earlier this month that DHSC had quietly altered key guidance on NHS CHC, making it harder for CCGs to continue to discriminate against disabled people receiving funding by forcing them into residential care.

Sue Bott, deputy chief executive of Disability Rights UK, said: “This disturbing report shows just how ridiculous the current funding system for health and social care is.

“It cannot be right that someone in Stockport has to pay thousands for care whereas someone in the same circumstances 10 miles down the road in Salford doesn’t have to pay anything.

“There is an assumption amongst the general public that care will be free. Sadly it is only when people encounter the ‘system’ for the first time that they realise just how much they have to pay.

“At DR UK we think health and social care costs should be covered by general taxation. This is the only fair way.”

 

Source: Research shows huge postcode differences in NHS continuing healthcare | DisabledGo News and Blog

Government takes small step over risk of NHS care home discrimination

It should be an individuals right to be able to live where they chose to and not where an authority states they should. Care is personal to the individual and should never be reduced in quality or quantity.

Long term care should not be metered by cost, but by individual need in accordance with their choice. Why should having a disability or a life long condition mean their choice cannot be respected.

How Far Can NHS Cuts Go?

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This is the Lancaster family – Nicola and Ian have spent ten years looking after their severely-disabled child 24-7, their only break coming once a month, when he went to a respite centre for the weekend. Now the centre is closing, because there’s no #NHS money to run it – and this is not an isolated case….

Source: How Far Can NHS Cuts Go? – Paul Moss  @BBCPaulMoss

This is indeed not an isolated incident and is not only related to Children’s Social Care and health services, but also to Adult Social Care and health services.

While there are needs for those children and adults who are in need of care and are entitled to Assessments of Needs, the Carers themselves also have needs and they are entitled to their own Carers Assessments for carers of children being * The Children and Families Act 2014 amends the Children Act 1989 and for carers of adults *The Care Act 2014. Here are some Care Act Factsheets.

When it comes to funding where needs have been assessed then that need should be provided and this should not be delayed pending disputes between social services and health.

* Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Thousands of patients could be forced into care homes due to CCG cuts | News | Health Service Journal

Thousands of patients could be forced into residential care as a result of clinical commissioning groups restricting funding for care at home, data shared with HSJ reveals.

Source: Thousands of patients could be forced into care homes due to CCG cuts | News | Health Service Journal

Patients being charged £3,500 for surgery that usually costs £800 | Daily Mail Online

Hospitals are increasingly encouraging the elderly and others affected to pay for the procedure out of their own pocket as it is being rationed by the National Health Service.

Source: Patients being charged £3,500 for surgery that usually costs £800 | Daily Mail Online

Bailiffs seize five ambulances after private provider goes bust : News health Sussex.

These are the risks when privatisation is allowed to occur in vital public services. In these tendering processes each organisation is supposed to submit their tender and a business plan., however in the eagerness to provide the lowest tender some organisation will cut costs to the bone and in doing so quality is the area which suffers.

When you question organisations like the CCGs they are always quoting they have to see value for money, but if a tender is not viable then it is not value for money, but once granted tenders are rarely monitored as a viable commodity. As this in itself would cost and will not have been allowed for within the process.

Red tape is diverting residential homes from caring, review reports | Community Care

Government to explore options for cutting bureaucracy after adult care homes tell review of inconsistent monitoring and being overloaded with form filling

Source: Red tape is diverting residential homes from caring, review reports | Community Care

Eye Health groups echo call on CCGs to raise their game on services for people with learning disabilities

Original Post from LOC Support Unit

An extract

‘A call on Commissioners to raise their game and deliver better services for people with learning disabilities has been welcomed by leading a leading eye health organisation and sight loss charity SeeAbility.

NHS England directors and nursing chiefs urged Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to improve services and criticised the “slow pace of change” at a board meeting last week. Figures show that just six out of 210 CCGs have commissioned eye services for people with learning disabilities.

Chief Nursing Officer, Jane Cummings, said that Commissioners needed to work with local government, social services, and the Department of Health to improve services for people with disabilities.

NHS Directors, Dame Moira Gibb and Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, raised their disappointment at the “slow pace of change for children with learning disabilities”.

The comments came on the same day as the publication of the NHS-commissioned report, Transforming Care for People With Learning Disabilities – Next Steps.   ………..’

Care for people with Learning Disabilities

Independent report demands action on care of people with learning disabilities* from NHS England*.

An extract ‘……..Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of ACEVO and author of the independent report, said: “The Winterbourne View scandal shocked the nation. People are still angry and frustrated that more people with learning disabilities are being placed in institutional care than moved into the community.

“We urge immediate action, to close all Winterbourne-style institutions and ramp up community provision. We need a new Charter of Rights to empower people with learning disabilities and their families, and give them the right to challenge the system. We need that system to have the courage to act on these recommendations, and not to promise another false dawn. The time for talk is over. It’s time for people with learning disabilities or autism and their families to be put first.”…….’

It is true that something needs to be done for the Government austerity cuts are reducing funds Local Authorities have to support persons with learning disabilities and their families. But is this one more calling on these funds, for local authorities and the NHS currently have these reducing funds to provide care and support for persons with learning disabilities at a time when, the numbers of these persons are increasing, the implementation of the Care Act 2014*, the closure of the Independent Living Fund*, etc. The Government needs to take on board the funding aspect and not expect the local bodies to be able to cope when sufficient funding is not available.

If sufficient funding is not made available, then the care and support will fail, if it is not already doing so, and safeguarding concerns will rise, thereby causing more call on funding.

* Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.