Healthcare bills betrayal

PENSIONERS in care homes being forced to sell their houses to pay for healthcare is a scandal that shames Britain and must be addressed. Rear Admiral Philip Mathias is leading the fight for justice by seeking a judicial review which could compel the NHS to pay £ 5billion in fees.

Official rules state that the care and nursing fees of older people who suffer from significant health problems should be paid in full by the health service. Unfortunately there is wild variation in your chance of winning funding.

When you can be 20 times more likely to win support from one clinical commissioning group than another, it is clear there is not a level playing field. Some of these groups have been accused of “rationing” the funding by erecting bureaucratic barriers.

Britain takes pride in its status as the home of the NHS but we betray its values if tens of thousands of pensioners see a lifetime’s assets wiped out by illness.