Care England slams CHC tariff rules

Care England has expressed its continued concern over low increases in Continuing Healthcare (CHC) fees.

Chief executive Martin Green OBE said CCGs were offering fee increases in 2018/19 of only 0.1% arguing they were required to do so by the NHS National Tariff Payment System Rules.

Martin said: “Care homes offer high quality care and support for individuals with primary health needs as opposed to occupying long-stay beds in hospitals. Decisions on fee levels are important to ensure that the system works effectively and efficiently in supporting individuals within community settings. Inadequate funding places such provision at risk.”

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Care England highlighted a recent interview chief executive of NHS Improvement (NHSI) Ian Dalton gave with the Health Service Journal in which he implied that money owed by NHS Trusts to the government could be written off. Ian added that the significant gap between tariff prices and actual costs needed to be addressed.

Martin said: “CCGs should be working with care homes to fund CHC properly. Why are CCGs not taking evidence from the sector on CHC cost increases or properly consulting? This situation cannot continue and NHS leaders should be clear to CCGs that the ‘national price inflator of 0.1% is not appropriate to local prices for CHC.”