Health and Wellbeing
Personal Budgets and Continuing Care
Continuing care packages for children and young people up to 18 years are for those with highly complex health needs that cannot be met by services which are routinely available, for example, services delivered from GP practices, hospitals or in the community.
Information About Continuing Care
Complex health needs may be the result of a congenital condition, long-term, life-limiting or life-threatening condition, disability or a serious illness or injury. For these children and young people, they may be offered an additional care package known as continuing care.
If you require further information, either download the continuing care leaflet or read the government’s guidance on continuing care.
For more information, call the children and young people’s continuing care team on 0121 612 2133.
Transition to Adult Continuing Healthcare Provision
Continuing care packages for children and young people stop when a child or young person reaches 18 years of age. For people over the age of 18 with severe and complex health needs, support may be provided through NHS continuing healthcare for adults. This is organised differently from continuing care for children and young people, and there is a different assessment process.
If your child or young person receives continuing care, and it seems likely they will need similar support when they are an adult, this should be identified in discussion with you when they reach 14 years of age. At 16-17 years old, your young person should be referred for an initial assessment for adult NHS continuing healthcare. This should again be a multi-disciplinary assessment and a decision about eligibility should be made when they are 17 years old.
Personal Health Budgets
If you or your child has NHS-funded complex healthcare needs, you can ask the NHS for a personal health budget. This is an amount of money from the NHS, which patients agree with their nurse to spend on their health needs. The aim is to give people more choice and control over their healthcare to increase their independence.