NHS Continuing Healthcare

An independent review of NHS Continuing Care has been published today, making a number of recommendations to improve the way this form of long-term care is provided.

Health Secretary Alex Neil has welcomed the recommendations from the expert group and committed the Scottish Government to work with health boards and COSLA to develop new guidance on the role of Continuing Care, to be implemented by April 2015.

A central recommendation made in the review is that in future Continuing Care status should continue to be determined by clinicians, but the decision must be focused on whether the on-going care required can only be provided safely and effectively in a hospital.

This reform to NHS Continuing Care will ensure that patients who require this acute level of clinical care will receive it in an appropriate hospital setting.

Mr Neil said:

“This report makes a number of recommendations for reforming Continuing Care and putting in place a system which will be applied consistently and transparently by all NHS Boards.

“Where patients are assessed as needing this form of acute long-term care the expert group make clear that most effective and safe way to deliver this is in a hospital setting.

“This is welcome clarification and we’ll now be working with health boards and COSLA to put in place new guidance to underpin this reform of NHS Continuing Care

“We will now ensure it is applied fairly and equally to all patients across Scotland.”