Personal Health Budgets

A Personal Health Budget (PHB) is an amount of money to support a person’s identified health and wellbeing needs, the application of which is planned and agreed between the person, their representative or, in the case of children, their families and the CCG. It is not new money, but it is money that would normally have been spent by the NHS on the person’s care, used more flexibly to meet their identified needs.

If you have a PHB, you will be able to use it for a range of things to help you meet your health and wellbeing goals, for example therapies, personal care and equipment. You will not be able to pay for emergency hospital care and care you normally get from a GP. You are also not allowed to spend the money on gambling, debt repayment, alcohol or tobacco, or anything unlawful.

Local Offer

Adults who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and children and young people eligible for NHS Continuing Care (CC) are entitled to a PHB.

For children and young people (birth to 25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the PHB is likely to form part of their Personal Budget for their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

Joint funded support and budgets for individuals that are eligible for both CCG and Social Care (Local Authority) funding.

NHS Warrington CCG is currently piloting offering PHBs for End of Life Care, for individuals in their last few weeks of life, through the Fast Track process.

In accordance with the aim for the NHS to deliver more personalised care across England, all packages of care at home for people assessed as eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare and Fast Track End of Life care will be provided through a Personal Health Budget unless you ask us not to.

What is a support plan?

A support plan sets out how you will use your personal health budget and must cover the following:

The health and wellbeing outcomes you want to achieve
How your outcomes will be achieved
The risks to your health, wellbeing, safety and independence
How you will manage your personal health budget
Contingency arrangements should support arrangements fail

Your support plan and budget need to be approved by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) before your budget can be spent. Your support manager will help you with this. The CCG will decide whether there is enough money in your personal health budget to pay for all the support and services outlined in your support plan. Everything in your support plan must be lawful and comply with Department of Health guidelines. Once your care plan is approved, you can then buy or arrange the services you need.

How much money will I receive?

That depends on your needs. Once your personal health budget is confirmed you will have a regular review to look at whether your health and wellbeing outcomes are being met. Depending on the way you receive your money, the management of it will also be reviewed to make sure it is being spent on those things identified in your support plan.

A personal health budget can take three forms:

Notional budget - No money changes hands. You find out how much money is available and talk to your doctor or care manager about the different ways to spend that money on meeting your needs. They will then arrange the agreed care
Real budget held by a third party - A different organisations or trust holds the money for you, helps you decide what you need and then buys the services you have chosen
Direct payment - You get the cash to buy the services you and your doctor or care manager decide you need. You must show what you have spent it on, and keep records of your spending, but you buy and manage services yourself. A personal health budget is not the same as a direct payment

Arrangement of Care Support
The Arrangement of Care and Support service brings together support for individuals in receipt of health funding in Warrington, focusing on personalising the way in which an individual receives care to meet their assessed needs. Delivered with Warrington Disability Partnership, Arrangement of Care and Support provides ongoing technical advice and support for individuals in receipt of a personal health budget in Warrington; supporting you to manage and direct your own health care at home.

What support can I access?

Ongoing technical advice and information on all aspects of directing your own care.
Assistance with completing a Person-Centered support plan.
Support for how to choose and how to manage your budget.
Support with recruiting and employing your own Personal Assistants or arranging care via a care agency.
Support with employing staff legally and acting as a good employer.
Managing the paperwork.
Carrying out Police Checks (CRB/DBS checks) on your Personal Assistants.
Assistance with how to calculate how to spend your Personal Budget/Direct Payment and help to allocate costs to ensure your needs are met.
Support with any employment law issues
Signposting to other relevant services (e.g. training and payroll services)

More Information

NHS England – Information and guidance about Personal Health Budgets on a national level.

NHS Choices – Further information, frequently asked questions and real-life stories of people utilising Personal Health Budgets.

People Hub – A network for individuals and families with Personal Health Budgets, run by others with direct experience of having Personal Health Budgets. It has lots of resources, information and case studies.

Cheshire Centre for Independent Living – Provides a range of support services for individuals wishing to have a Personal Health Budget in Warrington.

NHS Continuing Healthcare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdTqGTPSRb8

An introduction to PHBs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc3GTLycZ5k

Contact:

Further details on Personal Health Budgets can be obtained from the Continuing Healthcare Team by emailing: warccg.CHC@nhs.net or ringing 01925 843697 (Monday to Friday during office hours).

To find out more about the Arrangement of Care and Support please call Esstta Hayes (Warrington's Care and Support Advisor) on 01925 240 064 or email e.hayes@disabilitypartnership.org.uk