- The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) recent report investigates complaints made to the PHSCO between April 2018 and July 2020 regarding NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. The report highlights significant failings which have lead to families being forced to fund care or pay top up towards an individual’s package of care putting individuals and families at risk of financial hardship. Further evidence of failing in care and support planning, assessment process and failure of the NHS to deal with unassessed periods of care. Of course, the PHSO’s report cannot ignore the devasting consequential impact of COVID-19 on CHC funding. To read the full report, CLICK HERE. To read our head of department, Debbie Anderson’s, take on the report, CLICK HERE
- The ‘discharge to assess policy’ adopted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was introduced to free up hospital beds. This policy shifted the focus to discharging individuals for post-discharge support outside of the hospital setting. This article highlights the devastating impact this has had on patients. Alarmingly, “82% of individuals did not receive any follow up visit or assessment at home, with 18th of this group reporting an unmet care need”. The sheer lack of support meant that individuals did not receive results of their COVID-19 test before they were discharged therefore placing the wider community and carers at risk. Poor communication with unpaid carers as to adequate support and profound lack of social workers at hospitals to conduct appropriate mental capacity assessments prior to any discharge. To read the full article, CLICK HERE
- Moving forward rather than looking back. As we have now entered into the second lockdown, the new government guidance regarding care home visits provides recommendations for safe visits to care homes. Thankfully, the government have recognised that the blanket closed door approach adopted in the first lockdown in March is neither appropriate or sustainable. To read the full guidance, CLICK HERE. To read Moore & Tibbits article on the new guidance, CLICK HERE.
- Ylenia Angeli and her family plead for change to the government’s policy on care home visits. Ylenia Angeli was detained by police for attempting to remove her mother from the care home in which she was residing. Ylenia’s daughter describes the family’s anguish of not being able to see her mother for nine months. We anticipate that Ylenia and her family welcome the government’s guidance published on 5 November 2020. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. To read our colleague, Ceri Mawson’s article about Deprivation of Libety and Ylenia’s story, CLICK HERE
Our friendly, specialist health & community care team offer free initial advice for different care matters and care concerns, just call 01926 354704 or email: CharlotteB@moore-tibbits.co.uk or JudyT@moore-tibbits.co.uk.
