Disputes over NHS Continuing Healthcare, and who should receive it, are certainly not new. In particular, two landmark court cases * shaped the Continuing Healthcare landscape. There were also numerous complaints to the Health Service Ombudsman regarding the apparent 'postcode lottery' of who did and didn't qualify. As a result, a new National Framework was implemented on 1 October 2007, intended to create a common and nationwide set of rules for all Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) and Hospital Trusts to follow.
*R v North & East Devon Health Authority ex parte Coughlan (1999) and R v Bexley NHS Trust ex parte Grogan (2006)
So, problem solved? Sadly not. The fact is that today many health professionals still don’t apply the procedures and rules correctly and they are still open to subjective interpretation.
At the time a loved one becomes ill, both patients and families need to make critical decisions about where, how and in what setting he or she should be cared for.
At Paladin, we know through our own personal experiences – and those of too many others – that thousands of families face frightening ordeals which present few viable options. We’re here to support them at whatever stage they find themselves. And we’re here, if needed, for the long haul, offering as much or as little advice and representation as they need.
