SIA host round table on NHS Continuing Healthcare Eligibility

Eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a complex and contested area of health and social care law and practice, and as such is an area SIA has been campaigning on for a number of years.  Primarily through the efforts of Brian O’Shea, SIA’s Continuing Healthcare Adviser, we have developed a position where we are now a trusted and valued ‘critical friend’ to NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, which has enabled SIA to make significant contributions in areas such as the recent review of the national framework.

As part of SIA’s desire to effect real change on behalf of our members, SIA recently hosted a round table event at the prestigious venue of the Law Society in London.  This was convened to discuss the proposition that because of the nature of spinal cord injury, it would be reasonable for there to be a ‘presumption of eligibility’ for spinal cord injured people when applying for NHS Continuing Healthcare.

To ensure the proposition – which would be a major change to the existing procedures for CHC – was properly and thoroughly examined from as many different perspectives as possible, SIA brought together a panel of experts from legal, clinical, health and social care and independent backgrounds.  This led to a fascinating and constructive exchange of views from the excellent panel members, and highlighted a number of complexities and significant issues with CHC that SIA will now be exploring further as we develop our NHS Continuing Healthcare campaigning aims.

SIA are very grateful to Leigh Day Solicitors for their support of this event, and would like to thank the expert panel and observers for their time in attending the Round Table.