NHS missing nursing care funding targets

Elizabeth Neal died before she could received the funding and the costs have been paid out of her estate

The NHS in Gloucestershire has had to bring in outside help to address long waits for vital funding.

Patients with complex needs can apply for extra money via Continuing Healthcare funding (CHC) to help with nursing either at home or in a care home.

But in Gloucestershire it is taking a lot longer than it should for people to find out if they qualify for the money.

Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has acknowledged that families have been waiting longer than it would like for funding assessments to be completed and has apologised.

Elizabeth Neal was admitted to Windsor Street Care Home in Cheltenham in November 2022.

Her son Michael was delighted with the care she received – especially as she was so ill.

He added: "She had various incontinence problems. She was blind, deaf and had difficulties eating so she needed to have liquid food. She was pretty much immobile."

The care home applied for CHC funding to help with her nursing needs.

Claims should be processed within 28 days but the latest figures show that in Gloucestershire this target is met less than half the time (49%).

This is the lowest in the West - with Somerset meeting the target almost all the time.

Mrs Neal died in June 2023, having never received a response to an application that amounted to about £6,000 by that stage.

Her nursing care had to be paid out of her estate and her family are hoping to claim that back if it is found she would have been eligible.

Michael Neal is still waiting to be contacted over his mother's continuing care funding

Mr Neal said: "Initially the application went in and we heard nothing ...You have to reapply as it becomes a previously accessed period of care, although all the facts are exactly the same, and you have to fill in a second form.

"I just think it is unsatisfactory. It's taken them about 700 days.

"The next stage is to appoint a nurse assessor who will apparently contact me as soon as he or she is appointed.

"I am still waiting for that. Nothing happens."

CHC funding requests dealt with within 28 days:

Somerset ICB: 91%

Bristol: 86%

Banes, Swindon and Wilts: 56%

Dorset: 75%

Gloucestershire: 49%

Source: NHS ENGLAND

Chief Nurse Marie Crofts said they have started recruiting extra staff to deal with the backlog

Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said: “We are sorry to hear about Mr Neal’s experience.

"Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we do understand that families want the best possible support for their loved ones and it’s important we listen to people’s experiences and make improvements where necessary."

The NHS in Gloucestershire has had to bring in a company to try to sort out long waits for requests for funding to allow patients to leave hospital.

Its chief nurse, Marie Crofts, said: "We are determined to improve the position and additional resources have been made available to support the service.

"We have started the process of recruiting extra staff to meet the increased demand and support the team to review cases as quickly as possible.

"We are also reviewing the service to see where further improvements can be made to the assessment process."