Continuing Healthcare Advice Service

What Is the Continuing Healthcare Advice Service?

The service supports SIA members who are applying for Continuing Healthcare, or having their Continuing Healthcare reviewed.

What is Continuing Healthcare?

If you need personal care as a result of your spinal cord injury there are 2 main sources of statutory funding, Social Services and the NHS (specifically your local Primary Care Trust). Continuing Healthcare is the name given to the funding provided by the NHS.

There are a number of differences between the Social Services and NHS funding, but probably the two most significant are that:

• NHS Continuing Healthcare funding is not means tested. Therefore you will not have to make a contribution towards the cost of your care.

• NHS Continuing Healthcare funding cannot be given as a Direct Payment (or Personal Budget).

More information about NHS Continuing Healthcare is available in the members area of the website.

Who is eligible for Continuing Healthcare?

Where it has been assessed that and individuals primary care need is a health need they will be eligible for Continuing Healthcare.

Exactly what constitutes a Primary Health Need is not clearly defined, but in simple terms:

• An individual has a primary health need if, having taken account of all their needs, it can be said that the main aspects or majority part of the care they require is focused on addressing and/or preventing health needs.

So to find out whether you are eligible for Continuing Healthcare you will be assessed by your Primary Care Trust (PCT). It is important that you prepare for this assessment because many members have found that the assessors don't always understand the care needs associated with SCI.

More information about the assessment process is available in the members area of the website.

More information about preparing for an assessment is available in the members area of the website.

How Can the Service Help?

The Continuing Healthcare Advice Service can provide information and advice on all aspects of Continuing Healthcare. We can also work with individuals to prepare for their assessment or review of Continuing Healthcare Funding. Where somebody has had Continuing Healthcare funding refused or withdrawn unjustifiably we can work with them to challenge that decision.

More information about challenging decisions on eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare is available in the members area of the website.

For more information please e-mail Brian O'Shea, Continuing Healthcare Adviser, or call on 0845 678 6633.