Can someone explain Personal Health Budgets to me 13 January at 12:38PM in Disability Money Matters 1 reply 122 views

BriNylon

I am struggling to understand personal health budgets.
For example if someone has had a stroke and they are left with a disability, presumably they would qualify for a personal health budget?
Would they then get an allocated “pot” of money?  If this is not extra money, then what would they then not be entitled to on the NHS?

Cyclamen

Hello Bri

i will do my best.. 

A personal heath budget is money allocated to someone to support there care and health needs due to illness or disability. It doesnt remove elegibility to NHS services its a way of the individual being able to buy the extra care / equipment they need due to health/disability that is specialised to them and not generally avaialable.

not every health condition /disability will qualify for a PHB they do an assesment between NHS and social services to see who funds the support.   Usually a high level of health support, skill, medical training for carers is needed to access a PHB.  

I receive a Personal budget from adult social services that I manage myself to employ my own PA/Carer team under a scheme called 'direct payments'.  This Personal budget can also be managed by the council and they will contract agency carers of  their choice to provide the support.  Occupational therapists can chip in money for specific items of equipment that are pre approved if they dont routinely supply them.  

There is also a Personal wheelchair budget.. yes its confusing. This is as the label says to buy a wheelchair suitable for the persons needs if the NHS one isnt suitable.. it in my experience doesnt cover enough of the cost as NHS buy on bulk at a discount. 

So for your question it would depend on the level of disability from the stroke as to wether they would be entitled to a PHB funded by NHS or a PB funded by social care.

It can be a battle and a slow process.. 

Good luck with it