A new guide providing information for family carers of people with learning disabilities about NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CH) has been launched.
NHS CH is the complete package of health and social care that is paid for by the NHS, which is available for people who have been assessed to have a ‘primary health need’.
The booklet, produced by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (FPLD), provides practical information about what NHS CH is, how people are assessed for it and how decisions are made. It also includes details about what happens if a person is eligible or not for NHS CH as well as advice about how to get help and useful contacts. The questions addressed arose from families’ experiences.
Alison Giraud-Saunders, consultant at the FPLD, said: “People with learning disabilities who have very complex health needs face unique challenges in their care. Our research has shown there is a real need for targeted information. The big priority for families is of course to get the right support for their relatives. It shouldn’t matter where the money comes from. But different sources of funding come with different rules and it’s really important for families to understand what these may mean. “The rules around NHS CH are complex and the NHS staff responsible for CHC funding aren’t always well informed about people with learning disabilities or personalised support. So it’s even more important for families to know what’s possible, what questions to ask and what to look out for. “This new resource has been specifically designed with carers to provide real, practical help to family carers of people with learning disabilities to make a significant difference to their experiences of the NHS.”
The booklet is available at: http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/publications/continuing-healthcare/
