The DoH website has just announced the publication of the Spring 2013 edition of ‘Update’, its personal health budgets information sheet. The lead story is a consultation on direct payments for healthcare (to run from 1st March to April 26th):
A public consultation on changes to the regulations for direct payments for healthcare is published today. Direct payment, where money is given directly to an individual for the management of their NHS care, is one way of managing a personal health budget. They are currently only lawful within DH-approved pilot sites.
The Government’s intention is to roll out personal health budgets more widely, including extending the use of direct payments, by updating the regulations so that they can be offered across the country.
The consultation proposes some changes to the regulations based on learning from the recent pilot programme and discussions with personal health budget holders, healthcare professionals and other organisations.
It discusses what will be excluded, for example acute and unplanned care and access to GP services. It also asks for views on issues including eligibility, paying family members for carrying out administrative functions, allowing local authorities to make direct payments for healthcare and separate bank accounts.
Consultation responses should be given via an online form . The DoH is seeking the views not just of not just those so far affected in the pilot sites, but of a wide range of parties who would interested in the future roll-out of the scheme, including the ‘general public’ and carers.