Personal Budgets in Health

Personal Budgets in health

You can have a Personal Budget for health needs (known as Personal Health Budget) if you have a Health Care and Support Plan and are eligible for Continuing Healthcare (including Fast Track funding).

Assessment for Personal Health Budgets is undertaken by a continuing healthcare specialist nurse within the Personal Health Budgets Team.

What is continuing care?

Some children and young people (up to age 18), may have very complex health needs.

These may be the result of:

• congenital conditions
• long-term or life-limiting conditions
• disability
• serious illness or injury

Children with such complex needs may need additional health support to that which is routinely available from GP practices, hospitals or in the community.

This additional package of care is called continuing care. The ICB, which is responsible for arranging for health services locally, has responsibility for assessing children and young people to see if they need a package of continuing care.

If you meet the eligibility for continuing healthcare, you can request a Personal Budget to be used in the following ways:

• A Direct Payment made to the young person or their family
• The agreement of a notional budget to be spent by the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) following discussions with the child or young person, and their family (or other representative) as to how best to get the provision they need
• The transfer of a real budget agreed as above, to a person or organisation which applies the money in a way agreed between the CCG and the child or young person, and their family (or other representative)