Elderly and disabled people have been wrongly made to pay the costs of nursing home care because hea...
Elderly and disabled people have been wrongly made to pay the costs of nursing home care because health authorities and trusts have misinterpreted and misapplied Government guidance on NHS funding for long term care (LTC).
A report from Health Service Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, upholds four complaints where people in Dorset, Wigan, Bolton, and Berkshire and Birmingham had been incorrectly deemed ineligible for LTC funding.
'The Department of Health's guidance and support has not provided the secure foundation needed to enable a fair and transparent system of eligibility for funding to be operated across the country,' Abraham said.
Jeremy Davies, head of Millfield Care Partnership, welcomed the findings: 'Relatively few people, including solicitors, have an understanding of care fees planning.
'There is also a grey area of legislation surrounding the definitions for registered nursing care contribution levels. All this highlights the need for the public to seek specialist financial advice.'
