Personal health budgets
What is a personal health budget?
A personal health budget is an amount of money that is spent on meeting an individuals identified healthcare and wellbeing needs of people, generally those with a long-term illness or disability. Health and wellbeing outcomes are identified through a support planning process and agreed between the individual and healthcare professional involved. The NHS wants to make it easier for people to get the NHS care that best suits them by enabling choice and control. Having a personal health budget is one way we way we think we can achieve this.
If you have a personal health budget, you will be able to use it for a range of things to help you meet your health and wellbeing goals as agreed within your support plan, for example therapies, personal care and equipment. You will not be able to pay for emergency care and care you normally get from a family doctor.
There are three ways in which a personal health budget can be delivered:
Notional budget - No money changes hands.
You find out how much money is available and decide with your doctor or care manager about the different ways to spend that money on meeting your identified a health and wellbeing outcomes. They will then arrange the agreed care.
Third party budget.
A different third party organisation or trust holds the money on your behalf and are responsible for the budget. They will work in partnership with you to develop a support plan and to identify how you will spend the money to meet your identified health and wellbeing outcomes.
Direct payment
You get the cash to buy the services you and your doctor or care manager have identified and agreed within your support plan. You have to show what you have spent it on, but you buy and manage services yourself. You can have as much support with this as you need and there are organisations available to provide you support in the management of your budget.
Who is eligible to receive a PHB in west Hertfordshire?
All adults (over 18) who are eligible for NHS Fully Funded Continuing Healthcare (eligibility criteria set out in National Framework for Continuing Healthcare Revised 2012).
For Children and Young people a personal health budget can be requested once they have completed an Education, Health and Care needs assessment and it has been confirmed that an Education, Health and Care plan will be required. A personal health budget may also be requested during a statutory review of an existing Education, Health and Care plan. A personal health budget can also be requested for children and young people in receipt of continuing care.
How can professionals and the public find out more information?
The contact details for the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Continuing Healthcare team who deal with adults is as follows:
Email: HVCCG.continuinghealthcare@nhs.net
Phone: 01442 284130
If you phone continuing healthcare and the line is engaged, we would encourage you to leave a voicemail message with your contact details. That way a member of our team can get in touch with you as soon as they become free.
The contact details for the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Personal Health Budgets Team is as follows:
Email: Hvccg.phbteam@nhs.net
Phone: 01442 284240