New deadlines for NHS continuing healthcare assessments
Tuesday 3rd April, 2012
NHS Sussex is advising people of the cut-off dates for any new assessment of eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare.
Continuing healthcare is care provided over an extended period of time to meet physical or mental health needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness.
Individuals who believe they were entitled to NHS continuing healthcare between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2012 can apply for an assessment to see if they are eligible.
This process is being phased out because Primary Care Trusts will cease to exist next year and the statutory responsibility for NHS continuing healthcare will transfer to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).
The changes are being introduced in order that at the point of handover to CCGs there are clear cut-off points for historical cases requiring assessment of eligibility.
Any individuals or their relatives who have never requested an NHS continuing healthcare assessment and feel they were entitled to funding can contact their team to request a review before the deadlines which are:
- For NHS continuing healthcare that people believe they should have received anytime between 1 April 2004 and 30 September 2007, the cut-off date is 30 September 2012*
- For NHS continuing healthcare that people believe they should have received anytime between 1 October 2007 and 31 March 2011 the cut-off date is 30 September 2012**
- For NHS continuing health care that people believe they should have, or are entitled to receive, anytime between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012, the cut-off date is 31 March 2013**
NHS continuing healthcare funding is only provided where an individual has a primary health need and requires long term healthcare, as opposed to purely social or residential care.
To find out more and to apply for an assessment, please contact your local team:
Brighton and Hove: 01273 574814.
East Sussex: 01323 466120
West Sussex: 01903 708609
*Individuals will be assessed against the local processes and eligibility criteria prior to the introduction of the National Framework for NHS continuing healthcare
**Individuals will be assessed against the National Framework for NHS continuing healthcare.
