Bedfordshire - East of England SHA

Key focus / scope

The Bedfordshire pilot is focusing on people with a diagnosis of:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson's Disease
• Stroke

109 participants have been identified by the Rehab and Enablement team, Community Physio team, Community Matrons and the Parkinson's Disease Specialist Nurse.

Overview of pilot and its purpose

As part of the commitment to the Department of Health, NHS Bedfordshire is also involved in three areas in preparation for roll-out of personal health budgets. These areas are working with Local Authorities to implement personal health budgets alongside existing personal budgets provided under social care, involvement of GPs to enable the smooth transition of the personal health budgets programme from PCT to Clinical Commissioning Groups, and looking at the financial structures that will need to be put in place in order to fund personal health budgets when roll-out takes place.

Two Care Navigators have been appointed to assist participants in identifying how best to meet their health needs.

The conditions chosen by NHS Bedfordshire tie in closely with further work being carried out locally in respect of redesign of stroke services and the National Stroke Strategy, and are part of the work being carried out under the NSF Long Term Neurological Conditions. NHS Bedfordshire has existing experience of personal health budgets from previous pilot work with "Staying in Control" where around a dozen local individuals were offered an opportunity to identify services and equipment that best suited their own individual health needs. This resulted in positive feedback and valuable learning with regards the time commitment of clinicians in delivering personalised services.

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 create personal health budgets processes that are efficient and equitable
• to support participants in identifying options that meet their own individual needs
• to apply the learning from the pilot to shape future commissioning decisions
• to work closely with two local Unitary Authorities in order to involve social care services
• to work closely with local GPs to provide a robust system of issuing personal health budgets in the future

This information has been provided by NHS Bedfordshire.