Grant programme for personal health budgets

NHS England has launched a grant programme for the VCS to help them gain the knowledge, capacity and expertise to inform their local communities about personal health budgets.

From April 2014, people eligible for NHS continuing healthcare will have the right to ask their clinical commissioning group for a personal health budget and from October 2014, they will have the right to have one. However most people do not know what a personal health budget is, let alone that they will soon be entitled to have one.

The aim of the programme is to increase demand for personal health budgets and ensure that personal health budgets are delivered well, with people better informed about how their budget should work for them and what service they should expect from the NHS.

This programme will involve around 30 VCS organisations receiving a grant of approximately £10,000 to help them have the capacity to undertake work in this area, taking part in a development programme to learning and share with others and being part of a national network of organisations.

In Control has been commissioned by NHS England to manage the small grant programme on its behalf and work with People Hub.

In Control will also be undertaking a linked piece of work providing a range of information material on personal health budgets that can be utilised by VCS organisations, which will form part of the wider development programme and network.

For further information, including how to apply by the deadline of 12noon on Friday 28 March, visit www.in-control.org.uk/news/in-control-news/nhse-launches-grant-programme-for-personal-health-budgets.aspx.