Scandal of refunds owed to care patients’ families I had to sell my mother’s flat for costs
HUNDREDS of families have been waiting up to seven years for refunds for healthcare costs they should never have paid in the first place.
Under NHS rules, continuing care needs outside hospital – including care home nursing costs or help from a community nurse – should be met by the health service.
However, many families did not know the state was meant to pay and so made big cutbacks or even sold their homes to find the thousands of pounds a year required.
In other cases, local health authorities wrongly refused to cover nursing costs.
Experts say the huge delays in refunds prove that our overstretched system is unable to cope. Recent figures show 624 people are still waiting for payments for nursing care costs between 2004-12.
Of this, the average claim is £23,000, equating to more than £14million in unpaid reimbursements – a figure which continues to rise with interest.
Most made claims for refunds in 2011 or 2012, when the Government, following a crusade by the Sunday Express, set up a special retrospective funding programme.
It was also revealed that there had been 63,000 requests for an assessment for refunds on healthcare carried out between 2004-12. However, only 25,000 have resulted in a full assessment. Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s shadow minister for social care, said: “This is a shambolic state of affairs. Ministers urgently need to investigate these delays, ensure that funding is available for continuing care and make sure that claimants get reimbursement for the care costs.”
Lisa Morgan, solicitor with Hugh James, which has recovered millions of pounds for victims, said: “It is totally unacceptable that even when a decision is made to reimburse, there is such a delay.”
Experts also say the process adopted by the Clinical Commissioning Group in reviewing claims is overly bureaucratic and difficult.
Dan Harbour, of Beacon, an advocacy group to help people with healthcare claims, said: “Our helpline receives more than 1,000 calls a month. The convoluted process leaves them at their wits’ end.”
Labour MP James Frith described the figures as “simply scandalous”.
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, added: “Sadly, the system is confusing and the rules quite arbitrary.”
Visit beaconchc.co.uk/info/ ANDREW Melville, 74, from Leeds, had to sell his mother’s flat to help pay around £100,000 for 10 years of nursing home care costs after she was admitted with Alzheimer’s in 2001.
Joan Melville, a former secretary, was totally reliant on nursing staff when she died, aged 93.
Mr Melville began his claim for reimbursement in 2012. Last year his health authority finally agreed a contribution towards his fees. However his solicitor believes he is eligible for a bigger contribution. Mr Melville said: “The health authority initially said it would take a year to sort out. But it’s ongoing. It’s tiring and frustrating.”