Fears over price of Continuing Healthcare in London being inadequate

Leading voices in the care sector have taken exception to a price rationale of £700 to cover the cost of continuing healthcare in London care homes.

The NHS CHC (NHS Continuing Healthcare) is an NHS funded package designed to fund healthcare in both residential home and social care settings, where service users’ care requirements are judged to be of ‘primary health need’ therefore directly linked to the services they receive, or would otherwise receive, in hospital.

Consulting on the price rationale, the NHS London Procurement Panel (LPP) are working with the Care Providers Alliance (CPA) in order to set future AQP (Any Qualified Provider) tariffs, but chief executive of the English Community Care Association (ECCA), Martin Green, has released a statement stating that the £700 is not sufficient.

“Neither ECCA nor the CPA agrees with the price of £700. In fact, we told the LPP, in a meeting and in writing, that we absolutely did not agree that £700 is an appropriate price to pay for CHC in London.

“We were shown the price rationale and the fee to be paid by the LPP to which we objected straightaway. We do not consider this to be ‘consultation’, especially when the LPP then proceeded to impose this figure despite our objections. Apparently £700 is deemed fair because 30% of London CHC placements in care homes are already paid at this price. A conclusion we believe to be neither justified nor rational.”

Chief executive of the National care Association (NCA), Sheila Scott, agrees:

“The NCA and the CPA have been quite clear to the LPP that we do not agree with the figure of £700. It is not a viable amount to ensure care homes with nursing can provide good quality care and threatens the placements of existing residents funded under CHC.”

The AQP consultation process will continue for several months, before concluding 1 April 2013 when the new tariff will go live.