Deadline approaches for continuing NHS Healthcare funding claims

The Continuing Healthcare Team at Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale NHS has sent out an urgent reminder calling on those requesting assessments of eligibility for cases for continuing care funding for the period 2004 - 2012 to register their claims as the first deadlines are due to come into force at the end of this week.

On March 15th the Department of Health announced, the introduction of deadlines for new cases which require assessment of eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding.

The deadlines refer only to what it describes as ‘un-assessed periods of care’ and the deadlines are as follows: 

• For the period relating to 1 April 2004 – 30 September 2007, the deadline is 30 September 2012
• For the period relating to 1 October 2007 – 31 March 2011, the deadline is also 30September 2012
• For the period relating to 1 April 2011 – 31 March 2013, the deadline is 31 of March 2013

 For further information or if you are in any way unsure about your eligibility to claim or wish to request an assessment of eligibility, you should contact the Continuing Healthcare Team at NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale on 01706 261905

Applicants may be accepted after this date but only if there are exceptional circumstances for doing so.

On the BBC’s Radio 4 ‘Money Box’ programme, broadcast yesterday, the importance of contacting PCTs before the deadlines was stressed whether or not you were certain of your eligibility as this would be accepted as an intention to claim.

The programme also reported on cases where refunds of ‘hundreds of thousands of pounds’ had been paid to some individuals in relation to overpayment of care costs.