Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset Cardiac and Stroke Network - South West SHA

Key focus/scope

The Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset Cardiac and Stroke Network invited its partner primary care trusts to work together on the piloting of personal health budgets for the stroke and cardiac population. Four PCTs and their associated Local Authorities are participating: Swindon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset. The overall approach is to begin the pilot in Swindon and then phase roll out to Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset to ensure learning is captured and shared.

The initial focus will be on people who have had a stroke: in Swindon, this will be either someone newly diagnosed or who had a stroke some time ago but has ongoing health needs.

Overview of pilot and its purpose

The Network is seeking to deliver greater choice and control for stroke and cardiac patients and their carers. Consulting with people, carers and third sector partners, the Network has learnt that principle concerns are about the lack of support offered after traumatic, life-changing events. Where support is offered, it is standardised and often fails to meet recovery goals and is offered at times, locations and a pace that does not meet people's aspirations.

The purpose will be to develop personal health budgets for the rehabilitation of all patients who are discharged from an acute stroke unit and for those who have previously had a stroke and have ongoing health needs. A key aim will be to increase the number of stroke survivors able to live in their own home with tailored packages of support. A further ambition will be to enable working-age patients to retain employment, alongside other packages such as 'Pathways to Work'.

Objectives of pilot

• to allow individuals to have more choice and control over their health and well-being by using self directed care principles to manage long term conditions
• to assist with developing the culture change required for personalisation for both staff and individuals
• to stimulate a market for offering personalised support
• to develop a brokerage system
• to apply the learning from the experiences of personal health budget users to inform and shape future commissioning decisions
• to strengthen the development of good local health, social care and third sector partnerships.

This information has been provided by AGWS Cardiac and Stroke Network.