BHR CCGs continuing healthcare placements policy – have you had your say?

Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge  Clinical Commissioning Groups

Why are we introducing a written CHC policy?

In line with other CCGs across England, we intend to introduce a written CHC placements policy to support how decisions are made as to where patients receive their individual packages of care (e.g. at home or in a care or nursing home).

The proposed policy will ensure that CHC packages meet the reasonable requirements of individuals and take into account patient choice where possible, whilst also ensuring decisions balance the CCGs’ duties to the individual and to the wider population that it commissions services for. This will help to ensure consistency, fairness and transparency in the decision-making and appeals processes.

Who will the proposed policy apply to?

The proposed policy will apply to all new patients who are eligible for CHC, and in a few cases to existing patients whose care needs have changed considerably since their last CHC review. This could be, for example, if a person’s condition has deteriorated and they require significant extra care.

The eligibility to receive CHC will not change and all new and existing patients will continue to receive the most clinically appropriate care for their assessed needs. There will be a discussion about where the care is provided, although it may not always be possible for this to be with a person’s preferred provider or at their preferred location.

The policy will not apply to anyone under the age of 18 years or those who are assessed as needing ‘fast-track’ CHC (in other words, care which is provided to people who have a rapidly deteriorating condition and may be approaching the end of life).

If you haven’t already, please read the consultation document and draft policy and respond to our online questionnaire by 5pm on Monday 30 September 2019. These are available on our websites:

• www.barkingdagenhamccg.nhs.uk/CHC-consultation
• www.haveringccg.nhs.uk/CHC-consultation
• www.redbridgeccg.nhs.uk/CHC-consultation

Please share this information widely across your networks and encourage your patients and colleagues to complete the online questionnaire – we want to hear from as many people as possible. 

Thanks in anticipation,

BHR CCGs