Spinal Injuries

(asked on 25th April 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2018 to Question 136434 on spinal injuries, what steps his Department is taking to submit the fully costed breakdown of the £855 million in efficiency savings from the NHS Continuing Health Care budget as recommended in paragraph 5 of the 13th Report of the Public Accounts Committee, NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding, HC 455, published on 17 January 2018.


Answered by
Caroline Dinenage Portrait
Caroline Dinenage
This question was answered on 30th April 2018

The Government published its response to the Public Accounts Committee January 2018 report and recommendations on NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding in March 2018.

Continuing Healthcare expenditure (after efficiencies) is forecast to increase over the period to 2020/21, and the identified efficiency opportunity is not predicated on changes to the National Framework in respect of eligibility or on limiting the care packages available.

How any efficiency is delivered in practice will be determined by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) locally, consistent with their statutory duties and national guidance in respect of access to Continuing Healthcare. National modelling based on variations in Continuing Healthcare expenditure and practice suggests the following notional efficiency opportunities in 2020/21, amounting to circa £855 million, which it is anticipated will inform local commissioning decisions:

- NHS England working with the Department to provide clarity around the National Framework and improving the way CCGs deliver the National Framework. This includes interventions such as improved data and benchmarking information and reducing the number of Continuing Healthcare assessments in an acute hospital setting – (circa £361 million);

- Improving the commissioning of care packages – (circa £122 million);

- Improving Continuing Healthcare processes including the supporting of staff with training and development – (circa £79 million); and

- CCGs locally delivered improvement initiatives – (circa £293 million).

Reticulating Splines