Direct payments for healthcare consultation

A public consultation on changes to the regulations for direct payments for healthcare has been opened by the Department of Health.

Direct payment, where money is given directly to an individual for the management of their NHS care, is one way of managing a personal health budget. They are currently only lawful within Department of Health-approved pilot sites.

The Government’s intention is to roll out personal health budgets more widely, including extending the use of direct payments, by updating the regulations so that they can be offered across the country.

The consultation, which closes on Friday 26 April, proposes some changes to the regulations based on learning from the recent pilot programme and discussions with personal health budget holders, healthcare professionals and other organisations.

It discusses what will be excluded, for example acute and unplanned care and access to GP services. It also asks for views on issues including eligibility, paying family members for carrying out administrative functions, allowing local authorities to make direct payments for healthcare and separate bank accounts.

For further information, including how to respond to the consultation, visit www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/03/direct-payments-consultation. For further information about personal health budgets visit www.personalhealthbudgets.dh.gov.uk.