Failing to care- assessment of need in long term care This meeting calls on HM government to remove the distinction between health care and social care in the assessment of the needs of individuals, in order to advance health and wellbeing - North Duffield, WI, North Yorkshire East federation

1. 2015 Annual Meeting Resolution
• The NFWI Public Affairs Department has created this presentation to facilitate
members’ discussions on the resolution that will be voted on at the 2015 AM.
• The presentation outlines the key issues addressed in the resolution, the current status
and policy environment of the issues raised, and the main groups already working on
the subject.
• Please use this presentation to support the briefing notes, and to inform your further
research.

2. 2015 Annual Meeting Resolution
Failing to care- assessment of need in long term care
This meeting calls on HM government to remove the
distinction between health care and social care in the
assessment of the needs of individuals, in order to
advance health and wellbeing - North Duffield, WI, North
Yorkshire East federation

3. Proposer’s Position
The proposer is concerned that ‘inequality in how needs are
assessed’ is leading to ‘vulnerable patients being denied their
right to NHS Continuing Care’ resulting in an unfair system in
which many families are having to rely on local authority
social care, to which they may have to contribute financially.

4. Angela Sherman’s 3 Year Battle
“The tribunal decided that the NHS had
previously not assessed mum properly for
NHS Continuing Heathcare and that the
decision to find her ‘ineligible’ for funding
was illegal…The NHS had said that Mum’s
needs were ‘simple and basic’ and that
they were not healthcare needs. This has
now been proven wrong.”Angela being interviewed about her
struggle to access Continuing Care for her
mum

5. Health & Social Care
Healthcare Social Care
Free at point of use
Related to treatment,
control, or prevention
of a disease, illness,
injury, or disability
Responsibility of
local authority
Means-tested
Related to everyday
activities, like dressing
and also help to maintain
independence
Long-term
Complex
?
Responsibility of the
NHS
Sufferers of
progressive
illnesses

6. What is NHS Continuing Care?
NHS Continuing Care is a package of care arranged and
funded solely by the health service in England and Wales
for a person aged 18 or over to meet physical or mental
health needs that have arisen because of disability,
accident, or illness.

7. Who can access Continuing Care?
The National Framework determines eligibility:
•Individuals must have complex, ongoing, and
significant care needs
•Must be grounded in a “primary health need”

8. Primary Health Need Considerations

9. The Coughlan Case
• Pamela Coughlan fights for NHS care in
the Court of Appeals
• In 1999 the Court ruled that the “NHS had
reneged on its promise to provide long-
term care, used inconsistent eligibility
criteria, and had consequently made
unlawful decisions”

10. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Parkinson’s
• The system not fit for purpose
• Abandoned people at their most vulnerable time
• Inconsistently applied, subjective, and confusing

11. How to Fix Continuing Care
• Continuing Care is not designed to replace
the social care system
• It is only meant to apply to a small section
of the population, not everyone with a
social care need
• The NFWI may wish to look at the
resolution more widely to assess and meet
the health and care needs of people
throughout their whole lives, whatever
frailty or illness they face

12. Social Care in Crisis
• Over 1/3 of local government spending
is for social care
• Councils have 37 % less money to
serve an increasingly ageing population
• Postcode lottery whereby care is often
contingent on where you live

13. Hasn’t the Care Act fixed this?
The Health & Social Care Act:
•April 2016 introduction of £72,000 cap on life-time care costs in England
•Means-test to rise from £23,250 to £118,000
•However, many are critical of the “fine print” of the cap- which does not
include boarding and living costs

14. What about the Social Services and Well-being Act?
• Seeks to transform social services in
Wales
• Concern over eligibility
• As it stands now the act is too vague,
especially when it comes to costs

15. What can be done?

16. Arguments for the Resolution
1) Court cases show people have been incorrectly denied access to
Continuing Care – an awareness raising campaign could have a big
impact on individuals and their families
2) Health and social care is very topical- now may be a good time for
members to add their voices to this debate, and for the NFWI to help
provide information to support members navigating the system
3) The integration of health and social services would benefit millions of
people

17. Arguments against the Resolution
1) The resolution does not address the wider problem of finding a
sustainable solution to shore up social care funding
2) If more people are granted access to NHS Continuing Care that simply
displaces the burden of cost onto the NHS
3) Half a million people with care needs receive no social care at all- this
resolution leaves those people behind

18. Further information
NFWI Public Affairs Team
Web: www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns
Email: publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk
Phone: 020 7371 9300 ex.212
Parkinson’s UK
Web: www.parkinsons.org.uk
Phone: 020 7931 8080
Age UK
Web: www.ageuk.org.uk/
Phone: 0800 169 6565