Health criteria strip old and infirm of free care
Already a huge worry to the families and those caring for the elderly and disabled the issue of having to pay for care is becoming an ever increasing burdon on top of the problems associated with coping with long term illness, and disability..SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society | Health criteria strip old and infirm of free care: "Health criteria strip old and infirm of free care� Draft proposals toughen eligibility assessments
� MP claims 70,000 a year sell homes to pay for help..
The Guardian has obtained a leaked document suggesting criteria for deciding who among the old and infirm qualifies for free NHS "continuing" care. Ministers want standardised tests to address what they have called a "postcode lottery". But it is claimed that the proposals would also sharply reduce the number of patients eligible for free NHS continuing care.
Officials say a harsher assessment regime outlined in the document would force many more families to rely on local authority supplied "social care", which is subject to means testing. That would push more vulnerable people into a parallel system that is itself under unprecedented pressure from debts of £1.7bn.
...A senior social services source said: "We are taking this very seriously. This would effectively be the end of the NHS for older and severely disabled people."
Decisions about who qualifies for care are taken by health trusts using government guidance and the "Coughlan test", which determines whether care is provided by a local council and means tested, or free of charge by the NHS."
posted by Jen @ 3:37 AM
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