PHB Direct Payments-Greenwich CCG

Read this leaflet after reading the leaflet called “Personal Health Budgets - information for patients and families” (NHS Greenwich).

What is a personal health budget?This is also called a PHB. A personal health budget is money from the NHS, to pay for services or things that help your health and wellbeing. You agree on the best way to spend the money with your NHS Greenwich Continuing Healthcare Coordinator. Having a personal health budget doesn’t change the money you get from your other benefits. There is more information in the leaflet called “Personal Health Budgets”.What is a direct payment for health care?This is also called a DP. A direct payment for health care is a way to manage your personal health budget. It gives you the most choice and control over your personal health budget money, but it also means you have the responsibility of managing the money.

To find out more about Direct Payments for health care in Greenwich, contact the Continuing Healthcare Team at Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group:-E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 020 3049 9000 1

Go through the Personal Health Budgets leaflets in this orderPersonal Health Budgets Information

Personal Health Budgets Process Direct Payments

123

Personal Health Budgets Direct Payments

Budget

Personal Health

Health Care

Direct Payments for

Key facts about direct payments for health care• You can only have a Direct Payment if NHS

Greenwich agrees you are able to manage this. You can do this with support if you need it.

• You have to find, buy and manage the services you need.

• You have to open a separate bank account for your Direct Payment. It can’t go into your normal bank account, unless you are only having 1 payment (a single payment)

• You must sign an agreement with NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group to say you will use your Direct Payment the way you agreed with NHS Greenwich.

• You must spend your Direct Payment the way you agreed with NHS Greenwich. If you spend your Direct Payment on things that are not in your support plan, NHS Greenwich may stop your Direct Payment, they may also ask you to give the money back.

• You must keep proof that you spend your Direct Payment the way you agreed to. This means keeping receipts and writing up your accounts. You have to share this proof with NHS Greenwich and RB Greenwich.

• You must keep to legal rules. For example if you become an employer because you hire your own personal assistants, you need to keep to employment law and have the right kinds of insurance.

2


The Direct Payment processGreenwich Carers’ Centre and the Royal Borough of Greenwich manage Direct Payments for health care for NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group. Greenwich Carers’ Centre can help you complete all the forms. They can also help you find and buy services that suit you. Royal Borough of Greenwich pays the money into your Direct Payment bank account, and they help you manage the money.Choosing which Direct Payment account is best for youThere are 2 kinds of Direct Payment accounts, these are below

1. Own Account With this account you must take full responsibility for managing all of your DP account. This means you have to do things like:• Set up your Direct Payment bank account• Pay for all the services you use • Pay wages for any staff you hire (and make

sure tax and National Insurance contributions are paid)

• Send your returns and payments to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you employ your own staff.

If you choose this kind of account you will be given details of independent payroll services, they can help you to work out staff wages, tax and national insurance. You do have to pay for this service but that can be paid with your personal health budget also. 3

Own Account

Holding Account


4

2. Holding AccountThis is where you do not have to manage the money in your Direct Payment bank account. RB Greenwich will open a Direct Payment bank account for you, and RB Greenwich staff will manage all the money for you, including invoice payment. If you employ your own staff, RB Greenwich will pay your staff (when timesheets are handed in), they also make sure that all returns and payments are made to HMRC for you. There is a cost for this payroll work they do for you, which is paid from your personal health budget.You can have support to start and manage a Direct Payment for health careMost of this support is free.• If you want a Direct Payment for health care, a

Direct Payments advisor will explain how Direct Payments work and help you fill in the forms. (The Direct Payments advisor will be from Greenwich Carers’ Centre.)

• Royal Borough of Greenwich will pay money into your Direct Payment account, and will check how you spend your Direct Payment.

• You choose how much responsibility you want with managing the Direct Payment. You do this by choosing which kind of Direct Payment account to use (an Own Account or Holding Account).

• Greenwich Carers’ Centre will help you find and buy the services or support you need.

• You could ask someone else (like a family member or friend) to get and manage a DP for you. Further detail of this is given in the next section.

• If a person is not able to manage their own Direct Payment, a representative can get the Direct Payment and manage it for them.

Manage money & services for you


5

Someone else can look after your Direct Payment for youIf you want a Direct Payment for health care, but you are worried about how to manage the money, you can get someone else to manage it for you. We call this person your “Nominee”.• NHS Greenwich staff have to check that the

nominee is able to manage the money for you properly and safely. When they are sure your money will be safe they will agree and ‘approve’ your decision.

• Your nominee must have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (this is like a Police check). Sometimes this check is not necessary if your nominee is a close friend or someone from your family.

• Your nominee has to understand everything about looking after your Direct Payment money properly. They have to agree to this responsibility.

Rules about Direct Payments for health care (what we can and can’t do) These are rules from the Department of Health• You can’t ‘top up’ or add to your Direct Payment

with your own money or money from someone else. This is because NHS treatment and support is free to all people.

• You can use a Direct Payment to pay for support in and from your own home. Or you can use it for permanent residential or nursing home care, if you wish.

• We STRONGLY advise you to have DBS (police) checks carried out for anyone you want to employ. If you don’t, you won’t know if they have a criminal record, or if they are barred from working with vulnerable adults and children.

My nominee



6

• You can’t use a Direct Payment to pay someone from your family, who lives with you, to be your carer – sometimes this is accepted in exceptional circumstances, but it has to be agreed to by NHS Greenwich.

• If you want to buy something that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence says is not good value for money, you must make sure that NHS Greenwich agree you can buy it. (find out about the NHS “exceptions” procedure if this happens).

• You can buy services from providers that don’t have proper insurance, but only if you understand the risks of what could happen if something goes wrong for you because of their work. NHS Greenwich have to talk about this with you to check you know the risks.

• You can’t buy services from a professional (like nurses or physiotherapists) if they don’t register with the right professional body (like the Health and Care Professions Council).

• You can’t buy regulated services (like home carers or day services), if they don’t register with the right regulatory body (like Care Quality Commission).

• Some people are not allowed Direct Payments (mostly, people on drug or alcohol treatment).

• The rules about what you can and can’t buy with your Direct Payment are the same as the rules about what you can and can’t buy with your personal health budget. Check the NHS Greenwich leaflet “Personal health budgets -information for patients and families”.

Please ask the Continuing Healthcare Team at NHS Greenwich staff if you would like more information on DPs for healthcare.

Made by EnabledCity.com using PhotoSymbols

Documents

PHB Direct Payments-Greenwich CCG