Public meeting report - Personalisation

Personalisation is an issue that Healthwatch North Somerset has become aware that the public had little understanding of.

The Personal Health Budget scheme is being rolled out across the country after a national pilot programme that lasted from 20092012.  

From April 2014 the ‘Right to Ask’ for a personal health budget will be available for adults and children receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare.  The NHS Mandate will provide an option for people with long term physical and mental health conditions from April 2015. 

Personal Budgets are provided by a local council to meet a person’s social care support needs whereas Personal Health Budgets provide for continuing healthcare needs funded by NHS.   

Personal Budgets and Personal Health Budgets offer people with long term social care and/or continuing healthcare needs the opportunity for more independence over how their health and/or social care money is spent, be that on physiotherapy, carers to provide intensive help at home, equipment to improve quality of life or therapies like counselling.  
 

Healthwatch North Somerset considered it was an appropriate time for the issues of personalisation to be discussed in a public meeting and offered an opportunity for the public to hear from the key stakeholders and ask questions.