I would like to tell you about a new project at NHS West Sussex. The project aims to provide a “Personal Health Budget” to parents or carers of children with complex health needs and disabilities to purchase healthcare.  My name is Heather Mooney and I am the commissioner for continuing care packages for children with complex health needs at NHS West Sussex.  I am leading this project.

 This project is a pilot scheme funded by the Department of Health to give service users more choice over the care they receive from the NHS.  The following is an extract from the Department of Health website about the pilot.

 A personal health budget makes it clear to someone getting support from the NHS and the people who support them how much money is available for their care and lets them agree the best way to spend it….  The budget itself might not be that important - but we hope it helps people take full part in discussions about their care. Most importantly, we hope that this effect - more open and honest discussions about what people want to change about their health and wellbeing - reaches to people who do not have personal health budgets as well as people who do.” http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Highqualitycareforall/DH_090018

 I am contacting you with the kind help of the West Sussex Parents’ Forum to arrange for a meeting to discuss what the scope of personal health budgets will be in West Sussex.  At present the pilot scheme is only open to children and young people who are already receiving a continuing care package funded by the NHS. Our initial idea was to use this pilot for children’s continence products, but we are considering widening the scope and we hope you can meet with the project representatives to put forward your views on what you would like a personal health budget to provide.