RCN comments on Personal Health Budgets announcement

Published: 30 November 2012

Under embargo 00:01 30 November 2012
RCN comments on Personal Health Budgets announcement

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today commented on the Secretary of State for Health’s announcement on Personal Health Budgets.

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN said:

“While we are not opposed to people being given a choice in how their care is provided and by who, we still believe that there may be unintended consequences caused by the extension of the use of Personal Health Budgets. Following the recent pilots and assessment, the RCN still has a number of concerns about their implementation.  We want all patients to feel empowered, and we want patients who have struggled to find the care that suits them to have another option, however a system which we believe may put pressure on patients to ‘top-up’ their care needs careful consideration before it is heralded as a real solution.

 “In particular, we are concerned that providing these budgets may exacerbate inequalities by giving the best care to those able to argue for it, and it may place vulnerable people at risk. The priority for the NHS should be to provide the care that is needed to all its patients, and the move to Personal Health Budgets could prove a costly distraction from that important aim.”

Ends

Notes for Editors

1. For further information, please contact the RCN Media Office on 020 7647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit  http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media
2. The 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