National criteria needed to overcome current "hit and miss" process of
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《英国医生杂志》
The NHS ombudsman has called for national criteria to be applied to all people applying for long term care to ensure that everyone has an equal chance of having a place funded.
At the moment many people applying for funding for long term care are frustrated by the long time it takes to decide whether a place a will be funded and by the delays in the payment of restitution. This is a finding in a report from Ann Abraham, the health service ombudsman. The report is based on the evidence gathered from almost 4000 complaints received since the ombudsman抯 first report on the subject in February 2003.
"From the patient抯 point of view, applying for funding for long term care has been a lengthy hit and miss process. My main concern is for the future. I want to be assured that no one has been wrongfully denied NHS funding for their long term care and that the lessons learned from the current review of cases are used to make sure that open and fair procedures are put in place across the country," said Ms Abraham.
She welcomed the announcement in December by the health minister Stephen Ladyman that the government would be starting consultations about developing a new national framework for the assessment for fully funded NHS continuing care.
In her report Ms Abraham states that clear and consistent national guidelines are now needed on who is eligible for funding, as are robust approaches to assessing need and enough people in place with the right skills to do that assessment at local level properly and promptly.
"Our report highlights that the only way to make the system transparent and fair is to have national minimum eligibility criteria, with a national set of assessment tools and guidance on how to conduct and report on the reviews," she said. "It is clear from our work that there are examples of good practice and systems in some strategic health authorities which can form the basis for this work. We would be delighted to work with the Department of Health and the strategic health authorities in helping to develop national guidance."(London Zosia Kmietowicz)
At the moment many people applying for funding for long term care are frustrated by the long time it takes to decide whether a place a will be funded and by the delays in the payment of restitution. This is a finding in a report from Ann Abraham, the health service ombudsman. The report is based on the evidence gathered from almost 4000 complaints received since the ombudsman抯 first report on the subject in February 2003.
"From the patient抯 point of view, applying for funding for long term care has been a lengthy hit and miss process. My main concern is for the future. I want to be assured that no one has been wrongfully denied NHS funding for their long term care and that the lessons learned from the current review of cases are used to make sure that open and fair procedures are put in place across the country," said Ms Abraham.
She welcomed the announcement in December by the health minister Stephen Ladyman that the government would be starting consultations about developing a new national framework for the assessment for fully funded NHS continuing care.
In her report Ms Abraham states that clear and consistent national guidelines are now needed on who is eligible for funding, as are robust approaches to assessing need and enough people in place with the right skills to do that assessment at local level properly and promptly.
"Our report highlights that the only way to make the system transparent and fair is to have national minimum eligibility criteria, with a national set of assessment tools and guidance on how to conduct and report on the reviews," she said. "It is clear from our work that there are examples of good practice and systems in some strategic health authorities which can form the basis for this work. We would be delighted to work with the Department of Health and the strategic health authorities in helping to develop national guidance."(London Zosia Kmietowicz)