Latest figures show overall rise in continuing care figures

2010-01-14 23:01:44

Figures released by the Government in January 2010 show that the number of patients qualifying for NHS continuing care has almost doubled from 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. In 2007-2008, 24,952 patients were receiving continuing care in England compared with 44,924 in 2009-2010 – an increase of almost 20,000. The increase is likely to be due in part to the introduction in October 2007 of the National Framework for Continuing Care, which aimed to standardise eligibility criteria across all PCTs and make the assessment process fairer. Broken down by PCT, the figures show that most PCTs have many more patients qualifying for continuing care in 2009-2010 than in 2007-2008, mirroring the national total. However, figures have dropped in some PCTs and there is still considerable variation in the numbers of patients receiving continuing care across the PCTs. Although population density is not taken into account in these figures, it is notable that several PCTs still have less than 100 patients qualifying for continuing care, whilst others have figures well into the hundreds. The figures can be viewed at the UK Parliament website.