MPs back proposal for direct health care payments

In a House of Commons debate on 8 June, MPs supported a proposal that direct payments be made available for health services, but requested more details about exactly how the new system would work. If it is passed, the new Health Bill will enable people to receive direct payments from the NHS, giving patients a much wider choice over their care and who provides it. Personal budgets are already available for many social care users in the UK. During the debate, health secretary Andy Burnham stated his intention that health care should ‘proceed in the same direction’ as social care, not just to give patients more control but also for budgetary reasons: ‘...we can bring the two budgets together for people with particularly complex health and social care needs.’ 70 pilots will start from 2010 to test the viability of using direct payments and personal care budgets to fund an individual’s health services. Led by PCTs across England, the pilots will focus on patients with long-term mental and / or physical health needs.

Charities and organisations that campaign for the rights of disabled people hope that if the pilot is successful and new legislation is passed, direct payments will be made available for those people who are assessed as eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. To find out more about the proposed Health Bill, visit the parliamentary website.