Councils not compensated for continuing care bills

Councils have not been compensated for paying the care bills of
people wrongly denied fully-funded NHS continuing care, the health
select committee heard today, writes Mithran Samuel
from the committee meeting.

The director of social services and health at Wakefield Council
Elaine McHale said the government estimates that £180 million
would be paid out to people wrongly denied continuing care ignored
the costs to councils.

On the first day of the committee’s inquiry into
continuing care, she said: “The £180 million does not
take into account the costs to the social services system where
social services have picked up a wrong decision.”

Under continuing care, the NHS is responsible for the care costs
of people whose needs are primarily health-based.

The committee also heard that the payouts would not fully
compensate people forced to sell their homes to pay care bills that
should have been met by the NHS.

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