This week for our #WednesdayWebinarSeries, Support and Advocacy Officer, Steve, is here to fill you in on the key points of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and the particular implications on adult health and social care services.
It is important to note that these measures are intended to be temporary and short term to ease the pressure on the health and social care services.
Continuing healthcare assessments
These timely processes are not feasible at this time so the legislation is allowing NHS organisations to delay the assessments until after the peak of the outbreak. Those discharged from hospital and pending an assessment will receive NHS funded care without undergoing the assessment process.
If you do find yourself in this situation you will receive NHS care but in time you will have to undergo the full assessment when things have settled down.
We are here to talk through the process or help with appeals when you need us so please get in touch.
Adult social care implications
Under usual circumstances, the Care Act 2014 stipulates a number of statutory duties on local authorities to identify and meet eligible needs. Due to the pressures on local authorities at this time the Coronavirus Act implements some easements on some of these statutory duties.
The new powers allow local authorities to streamline assessment processes and to prioritise services. BUT only where this is unavoidable. Local Authorities are still accountable for their decision to implement the easements and will be recording and justifying their actions to Government. The decision to implement the easements will be a local one.
It is important to remember that Local Authorities will remain under a duty to meet needs where failure to do so would breach an individual’s human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
What do these easements mean?
Local authorities will not have to undertake detailed assessments of people’s care and support needs. However, there is still an expectation to consider and respond to requests for support.
Local authorities do not have to carry out financial assessments. BUT provided they have given you sufficient information they can relook at the services provided after things have settled down, financially assess at this point, and retrospectively charge for these services.
Local authorities will not have to prepare or review care plans as per the usual statutory Care Act requirements; they will, however, be expected to respond to changes in needs as they present and keep relevant people informed.
In summary, there remains an expectation to meet needs; however, where this is difficult to achieve the authorities are now able to prioritise and thereby postpone or reduce other services to accommodate the more pressing needs.
Get in touch
If there are any implications that you are not sure about, whether health or social care, do get in touch with us and we will discuss it with you and try to advise you.
Do call or email the team and we will respond as quickly as we can.
Stay safe and speak soon.
With thanks to Steve Cotterell for producing this video.
Find more support, information and resources to help you with social distancing and coronavirus if you are living with MPS, Fabry or a related disease visit our dedicated COVID-19 pages. Or you can follow our weekly Wednesday webinars series here.
If you have found this information helpful please consider donating to the MPS Society.
