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Commenting at the end of the consultation on the Department of Health's Proposed National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-Funded Nursing care in England, Dr Beverly Malone, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “The RCN has serious misgivings about whether these proposals will end the continuing healthcare post code lottery that sees so many people being denied care they are entitled to on the NHS and having to sell their homes to pay for it. “Despite the initial fanfare, this framework does not clear up the confusion around who is entitled to fully funded care on the NHS. It is nurses who are put in the impossible position of having to explain complicated and often unfair decisions to patients and their families. “The RCN believes that anyone who needs nursing in a care home should get this care fully funded by the NHS. Nursing care is a fundamental part of healthcare and should be funded by the NHS. “We now need an open and honest debate on continuing healthcare and about what should be funded by the NHS. This will help avoid the strangulated policy making that confuses nurses and the public. “The Department of Health should also keep responsibility for NHS funding policy and implementation across England. Giving policy responsibility to Primary Care Trusts, as the framework recommends, will only continue the current post code lottery. “We are looking forward to working with the Department of Health and other stakeholders to shape a system that is fair, honest and transparent with the patients' needs at its heart.” Continuing care (or long term care) describes the care that people need over an extended period of time as a result of disability, accident or illness. The NHS is responsible for providing some continuing care, which is called continuing healthcare. The RCN has submitted a response to the Department of Health Proposed National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-Funded Nursing Care in England. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
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www.rcn.org.uk
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