Direct payment for health care: a consultation

This consultation document seeks views on the Government’s proposals for piloting direct payments for health care. This is part of the wider pilot programme to explore personal health budgets announced in High Quality Care For All. PCTs are already able to offer personal budgets that do not involve giving money directly to individuals. The Health Bill, which has now completed its main Parliamentary stages, would extend these options by providing power to allow direct payments, where the individual would be given the money to buy their own health care as agreed in a care-plan.

Published October 2009, 41 pages

Personalised Care Planning for People with Long Term Conditions

A new outline specification for personalised care planning is now available. It differs from other primary care service frameworks published by NHS PCC because personalised care planning is more about an approach to service delivery than the services themselves. The outline specification aims to help PCTs to develop their local thinking and approach, and work with providers to change existing ways of working, rather than commission additional services.

Published November 2009, 24 pages

Shared vision for mental health - consultation

Good mental health is fundamental to the well-being and prosperity of England. In the last decade, greater investment and reforms have transformed mental health care, but now we need to go further.

We need to target the root causes of mental illness and support the local development of higher quality, more personalised services.

New Horizons sets out ideas for achieving this. It explores the prevention of mental illness and earlier intervention when things go wrong. It also looks at how services can become more innovative and work more effectively together.

A personal approach to public services

Across the political spectrum there is broad agreement around the direction of travel in public service reform, with the emphasis being on localism, citizen engagement, plurality of provision, personalisation, and choice. The ultimate prize is public services that are targeted at the greatest need, delivered in a coherent way, and responsive to users’ views and experiences. This is addressed by A Personal Approach to Public Services.

(Published 2007, 27 pages)