Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of waiting times for accessing services through the NHS Continuing healthcare programme on patient outcomes; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Liaison Care on those waiting times; and what further steps his Department is taking to improve waiting times for the NHS Continuing healthcare programme.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Statutory guidance and assurance regimes are in place so that people are assessed and receive care in a timely way. For example, NHS England’s assurance standard requires that integrated care boards (ICBs) must ensure that more than 80% of cases proceed to a full assessment of eligibility, and that the eligibility decision should be made within 28 days of being notified of potential NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility. Nationally, 72% of referrals were completed within 28 days during July to September 2024.
Once an individual has been referred for a full assessment of NHS CHC eligibility, the ICB is responsible for coordinating the process until the eligibility decision has been made. The ICB should identify a coordinator who may be either from the ICB or an external organisation. An individual should not be left without appropriate support while they await the outcome of the assessment and decision-making process.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to undertake a national audit of care needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities are responsible for assessing individuals’ care and support needs and, where eligible, for meeting those needs. Where individuals do not meet the eligibility threshold, they can get support from their local authority to make their own arrangements for care services, as set out in the Care Act 2014.
The Government is committed to building a consensus on the long-term reform needed to build a National Care Service that meets the needs of older people and working age disabled adults.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the accident and emergency department in Cheltenham General Hospital will continue to be a Type 1 consultant-led A&E department between 8am and 8pm, in the context of proposed changes to the provision of acute medical take in that hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Gloucestershire health system carried out public consultation in 2020, as well as further engagement between 2022 and 2023, on shaping the future of hospital services. As set out in the proposals, Cheltenham General Hospital will continue to provide a consultant-led emergency department from 8:00am to 8:00pm, and a nurse-led minor injuries and illness unit from 8:00pm to 8:00am, with an intensive care service for critically unwell patients.