Fully funded NHS continuing care before hospital assessment

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 27 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Assessment for fully funded NHS continuing care before hospital discharge

From today the Government is requiring the NHS to assess patients for fully funded NHS continuing care before they leave hospital.

Responding to issues raised by the Health Ombudsman in her report that hospital assessment procedures have not always been well organised, Health Minister Stephen Ladyman said:

'For the first time, NHS Trusts have a legal requirement to assess for continuing care before patients leave hospital. This fulfils our commitment, made during the passage of the Delayed Discharges Act last year, that patients should not be discharged from hospital before assessment for fully funded NHS continuing care has taken place.

'Fully funded NHS continuing care is provided on the basis of the assessed needs of an individual and is not condition specific and may be provided in a variety of settings ranging from a nursing home, hospital, hospice or a person's own home.'

Coninuing care policy in the UK:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/TertiaryCare/ContinuingCarePolicy/fs/en From the Department of Health, UK