If I have a personal health budget, will I be responsible for my own care?
You will not be left to take care of everything. You and your family and carers will need to agree a care and support plan with the professionals who help you. This sets out your health and wellbeing goals, and how you want to use your personal health budget.
What happens if something goes wrong or if my budget runs out?
In an emergency, you will get NHS care as normal. If your needs change and it’s not an emergency, you should be able to agree a new care and support plan and a change in the budget. And if having a personal health budget does not work for you, the local NHS will carry on providing the care you need as it does normally.
Who decides who can have a personal health budget, how big the budget is and what you can spend it on?
Local systems will be set up to make these decisions. These will depend on which patient groups we are working with and which services are included, so it might be a GP, a community matron, a community psychiatric nurse or another professional.
Can I have a personal health budget as well as a personal budget for care and support?
Yes. If the professionals who help you agree you should try a personal health budget, and you already have a personal budget for care and support from social services, they may also be able to find a way to combine this into one budget for all your needs.
Will this mean means-testing for health?
No. The personal health budget should be enough to meet your needs in the way you have agreed without you having to spend your own money.
What do I do if I want a personal health budget?
Talk to the person who helps you most often with your care – this might be a care manager, a case manager or a care coordinator, or your GP.
