• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Personal budgets - anyone know about these yet?

G

goji

Well-Known Member
Messages
251
I keep seeing information bandied around on health websites about personal budgets. Diabetes is often mentioned as one of the conditions for which a patient will have a personal budget.

According to this latest news story, diabetic patients in Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Stoke-on-Trent are going to be among the first to get to trial these personal budgets.
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?s ... 123896&c=2

I wonder how they will work in practice. For example will we get a set amount of money to buy insulin or test strips or will we get money to put toward seeing a consultant? It seems like an interesting development. Are any of you getting one of these personal budgets yet?

Goji :D
 
If i was assigned a budget to treat myself the VERY FIRST thing I would look into would be adjustable gastric bands...
 
It sounds interesting. I'm not sure how much my Diabetes costs per year but I must be on the high end. Sorry :oops:
 
And what happens if your budget runs out before the end of the year?? Sorry mate you used too many testing strips, no more medication for you for 3 months :(
 
I really don't think we have enough information on this and it is very dangerous to jump to conclusions. I fear it could mean a poorer care for some groups, e.g. people with cetain mental health problems - how can they make a decision on treatment?

For others, like me ......... currently without "major" health problems apart from my diabetes, it could be an interesting option - DEPENDING on the "rules" we are playing by, of course. E.g. if I don't spend my "budget" in one year, can I carry it over to the next few years and hence building up a "pot" I could use if I got serious ill and wanted alternative treatment or similar?? :?:

As always in such matters, it is VITAL that you are guaranteed treatment under the NHS. But without knowing more about the "rules", I will not dismiss it as totally bad. It could potentially benefit some groups/people.

Anyone around here getting involved in these trials, it would be VERY interesting to hear more - well, I would be interested at least.

We need to know the framework of this ............. :!:


Alice
 
peecee said:
And what happens if your budget runs out before the end of the year?? Sorry mate you used too many testing strips, no more medication for you for 3 months :(
Click to expand...

Agreed. I'm really interested to know how they would set up your budget in the first place. Would your GP be responsible for assessing your initial budget level? What if your GP is a tight b*@*@*d?

And what would happen if your needs changed as a result of deteriorating health etc.

I think that the Govnt. should consult with diabetics to give us a clearer idea of what this will entail.
 
goji said:
I think that the Govnt. should consult with diabetics to give us a clearer idea of what this will entail.
Click to expand...


Why??? It is not ONLY Diabetics being affected by this trial, but a huge number of people with all sorts of illnesses - short and long term.

What they DO need to do is to make the framework available so everyone can see what "rules" this is being tried under. Only then, can we start ask question about "what if..."

Don't you think people with terminal cancer would want to be consulted about possible restrictions etc also? Do you think they would care one toss if a T2 Diabetic cannot get test strips??

There will be as many "camps" as there are conditions affected by this, this is not all about Diabetes - Diabetes is only one of many conditions inclusding the the pilot scheme. Read below ... taken from the article.


Alice

--------------

Personal budget pilot sites

-
• Bedfordshire - Long term neurological conditions
• Eastern and Coastal Kent - Carers; end of life care; maternity; mental health
• Norfolk - dementia; learning disabilities; mental health
• Stoke-on-Trent - Learning disabilities; COPD, coronary heart disease, diabetes); mental health; tele-care
• Nottingham City - Carers; COPD dementia; end of life care; heart failure; MND, Parkinson’s disease
• Medway - End of life care; COPD, heart and lung conditions; long term neurological conditions Huntington’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease)
• Northamptonshire Teaching - mental health
• Oxfordshire - NHS continuing healthcare; end of life care; learning disabilities; mental health (adults and older people); older people; physical disabilities; young people in transition
• Birmingham East and North - Cystic fibrosis; epilepsy; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Hartlepool and Stockton - NHS continuing healthcare; long term conditions
• Merseyside (Sefton, Liverpool and Knowsley) -Early intervention in mental health
• Manchester - TBC
• Doncaster - NHS continuing healthcare; mental health rehabilitation; obesity
• Hull Teaching - End of life care;
• Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset - Cardiac and Stroke
Network
• Dorset - including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal injury and traumatic brain injury
• Torbay Care Trust - NHS continuing healthcare; mental health; motor neurone disease; multiple sclerosis; preventative services; young people in transition
• West London (Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster) - dementia; learning disabilities; long term conditions; older people with disabilities; physical disabilities
• Barking and Dagenham - COPD, CHD, diabetes
• Havering - dementia; end of life care; COPD, coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke; tele-care
 
I would like to know a lot more about the scheme for instance what care will still be free on the NHS and what will a person with diabetes have to pay for out of their budget? My mother is given an annual budget to pay for care help she receives so she can decide what kind of care assistance and who/ what service she uses. I am guessing a person with diabetes will use their budget to pay for check-ups for eyes and feet so they will be able to choose where they have their check-ups. Will the budget be used to pay for blood tests? Will the amount of the personal budget cover all the annual check-ups recommended? How will the elderly cope with finding services and booking them and working out how they can afford them? Surely it is a bit more complicated than choosing whether to have someone sit with someone, do housework or gardening? My mother also has the support of me and my sister but what if we run out of budget and can't afford the tests? I don't see a podiatrist unless I have a problem but there maybe a problem with my feet that I am unaware of and a podiatrist would discover in time to avoid a bigger problem which will cost the NHS more in the long run apart from the personal distress to myself and family.
 
Vikingepigen said:
Why??? It is not ONLY Diabetics being affected by this trial, but a huge number of people with all sorts of illnesses - short and long term.
Click to expand...

Hi Alice

This is a diabetes forum, that's why I'm talking about the proposed budgets in relation to diabetics. It would be off-topic for me to start discussing cancer, COPD etc. I am fully aware that the personal budgets will affect people with other conditions - I'm the person who originally found and posted the article.

I brought the topic up because I was interested to know if anyone on this forum is part of the trial and to see if anyone had more information about it. And also to hear what people's views are on it.

Yes there needs to be more information provided, but it doesn't stop us from having an opinion on the provisional idea does it?
 
Hi Goji and anyone else interested to kmow more about these Personal Health Budgets.

Here is a link to an NHS pdf document which outlines all the available information about it.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/gro ... 101910.pdf

It might help answer some of your questions, although, then again, it might just make you want to ask more ?

Have a read.
 
Thanks for that link. Basic information, but at least it gives the frame of what the idea behind it is and what to expect. It is a choice not something forced upon you. It is part of your health care and the NHS guarantee to receive treatment is still in place. So, so far nothing major to worry about, as far as I can see.

How this will pan out in practise remain to be seen - no doubt there will be people who will benefit hugely from it and others who will not be able to deal with it. Also it will again depend immensely on WHAT the individual choices would be and HOW MUCH money is available for each condition and of course the "what if"s ........... These questions can only be answered by those actively taking part in the trial and if they are willing to go public. Otherwise we shall have to wait and get the condensed (or selective) information in interim reports from the trails.

Still a very very interesting prospect in my view and I look forward to reading more about it as the trials get underways.


Alice
 
Perhaps i was being too cynical, i'll reserve judgement until i see for myself how it works out in practice :|
 
Ken thanks for the link - it made interesting reading.

I especially like the bit where it said....
You would also not be allowed to spend the money on gambling, debt repayment, alcohol or tobacco, or anything unlawful.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the DOH are a right bunch of spoilsports :lol: :twisted: :lol:
 
Thanks for the link ken. They say laughter is good therapy and that bottom line is funny. Being positive using some of the budget to pay gym sessions might be a good idea.
 
Back
Top