Making continuing healthcare work better for all
Lou Patten says changes are needed for NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments, and offers recommendations for joint working practice to deliver it.
I’ve always been of the view that the line between social care and health care is bogus. They’re one and the same.
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The judge in the Grogan case was clear. If someone had needs beyond the limit Social Services could legally provide, then they should be entitled to CHC. There should be NO gap in between. My mum’s critical care sheet detailed 28 different health issues, unable even to roll over in bed, yet still didn’t qualify?!?!
I once asked a Social Services Assistant Director to tell me one thing that social care does that has no effect on health.
Still waiting…
The whole thing is skewed. The only actual difference between health and social care is that social care is, to some extent, preventative. They’re both under the same department for a reason, even if their internal structures are different. That’s where the campaign should be - make it all a part of the same body in every way so that services are seamless. Of course, that would cost more - but it would also prevent waste and stop people falling through the holes
Yeh, same hand different side. It’s all a con to cause confusion in them taking control…especially when money is at the root of everything.
There is actually a clear definition.
A Care Home does not require someone medically qualified to be on duty 24/7.
A nursing home DOES require a qualified nurse on duty 24/7.
Social Services fund care homes only. I don’t have time right now to dig out the ruling.
In theory, therefore, anyone requiring a nurse 24/7 should be CHC funded.
The whole scheme was initially designed to get rid of the rows of geriatric beds in Nightingale style wards and give them a better quality of life at cheaper cost.
They didn’t need hospital care, but did need some additional support that meant they couldn’t get home.
So the real question is why this isn’t being applied as it should have been?
BB, you’re using the legal definition (more or less) - but it’s fudged and inaccurate.
My opinion is based on the fact that every action social services takes is to promote health and wellbeing.
I agree with you, but the distinction is basically false and was set in legalese for the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, which separated out some health functions into social care. One of the disasters of the Thatcher government that never gets a mention, yet it set up all of the current problems.
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