Patients Association ‘shocked at NHS child funding shortfall’

The Patients Association has urged the government to rethink the allocation of NHS funding following a report that found that the NHS and local councils spending on specialist equipment for the treatment of disabled and terminally ill children amounted to ?60 per child.

BDF Newlife, the group that undertook the research, estimates that such children under the age of two require special equipment, such as wheelchairs and beds, to the value of ?7000. It was reported that charities often fill this gap in funding.

Michael Summers, trustee of the Patients Association, said: “I do hope that the department will look at this a bit more carefully. They should be the ones who are arranging through the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) for the proper funding.”

He added that while patients had not recorded any complaints regarding this situation on the association’s helpline, that “it does happen” and that the responsibility for funding in these situations should lie with PCTs, rather than charities.

A report published by the Patients Association last year claimed that many patients lack awareness of their rights, noting that the public desired more information regarding the quality of healthcare providers and the treatment available to them.