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DIRECT PAYMENTS SET TO PUT MORE PEOPLE IN CONTROL OF HEALTHCARE

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 26 October 2009

New Consultation on Personal Health Budgets Launched Direct payments for healthcare moved a step closer today with a new consultation launched by Care Services Minister Phil Hope.

Personal health budgets are being piloted in primary care trusts until 2012 – direct payments will form part of these. Personal health budgets will help to create a more personalised NHS, by giving people more choice and control over how money is spent on their care.

The three ways that a personal health budget can work are:

· a notional budget held by a commissioner, such as their doctor or primary care trust;
· a budget managed on the individual’s behalf by a third party, like a charity or User Trust; and
· or a cash payment to an individual and managed by them (a healthcare ‘direct payment’).

Trusts are already able to offer the first two options, which do not involve giving money directly to individuals. The consultation seeks views on the rules for making direct payments as well as proposals for setting up and evaluating direct payment pilots. It will run until 8 January 2010. The power to make direct payments is in the Health Bill currently before parliament and is expected to receive Royal ascent next month. This consultation will inform the regulations and guidance to make direct payments happen.

Care Services Minister Phil Hope said:

“There are some really inspiring stories already from people whose lives have been transformed by personal budgets - they get more choice and control over their own care. By making direct payments available in healthcare I know many more people will feel the benefits. We want to make sure we get this right and I want everyone to have their say to make sure we do.”

Case study – benefits of personal health budgets

Laura

Laura was diagnosed with a spinal tumor around 2 years ago and subsequently required significant neurosurgery. The tumor was largely removed but the operation left her managing life with chronic pain and incontinence.

Laura’s position was made doubly difficult because her pain relieving drug therapy had side effects of drowsiness and disorientation which affected her quality of life. She also had some sessions of hydrotherapy and massage and found both of these to be more effective without the side effects of the drugs. However, both these treatments were limited. Laura faced the prospect of increasing pain as well as the possibility of further expensive drug treatments that would further affect her quality of life.

The Trust decided to try a different approach and Laura volunteered herself to the personal health budget pilot. The costs of her drug treatments were identified and Laura is now using the money to buy more extensive massage and hydrotherapy sessions privately and long term. Her case manager holds the funding for her and she herself specifies the nature of the sessions she receives. She has found her pain to be much less since taking up the new therapies.

Notes to Editors

The consultation on Personal Health Budget direct payments starts today and runs for 12 weeks, until 8 January 2010. It is available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/index.htm

Case study ‘Laura’s’ name has been changed to protect her identity.

Earlier this year seventy sites from across the country were granted provisional pilot status. On 8 October Phil Hope announced that twenty of these sites will be evaluated in depth. . The sites will form an important wider learning community that will help test the effects of personal health budgets on a broad range of people.

Additional information on personal health budgets can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Highqualitycareforall/DH_090018

Lord Darzi’s Next Stage Review ‘High Quality Care for All’ announced that from 2009 there will be a pilot, building on experience with individual budgets in social care, to test personal health budgets as a way of giving people greater control over the services they use.

For more examples of how people can benefit from personal health budgets, call the Department of Health press office on 0207 210 5221.

Contacts:

Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk