Man paralysed from neck down ‘not eligible’ for night-time care – Simon Shaw from south London has been receiving funding under NHS continuing healthcare for people with serious health conditions

11 comments

  1. Holy fuck. Glad you shared this, it needs to be seen. It’s great it’s in the guardian I hope they are forced to reassess but it does mean they will just do it to someone else less. So scarey to think what could happen if we were in an accident and left disabled.

  4. A horrific story that’s been repeated so many times these last twelve years.

    They withdraw support from those most vulnerable who desperately need it, and hope that the months or years of gruelling appeals will exhaust them and get them to give up and stop trying.

  5. When you’re asleep, you don’t technically need anyone to look after you. What time do you go to bed and wake up? 8pm and 8am? **starts noting it down*.*

    *EDIT: I guess I’m going to actually have to state I’m being sarcastic. Holy shit.*

  6. NHS continuing healthcare is a national scandal. I have received it for several years, with this same disgraceful CCG, and can confirm that they have absolutely no morals. It’s the part of the nhs that I absolutely despite with all my being, and don’t think a single person who works in that department cares about people at all, only money

  7. >A spokesperson said: “The CCG will continue to provide funding contributions towards the care and support package of Mr Shaw, with no reductions to the funding or the package. We have contacted Mr Shaw to advise of this, and to apologise if this was not clearly communicated by the CCG.

    Get this outrage crap outta here

  8. This is utterly insane. IF he doesn’t qualify then who actually does? What sort of upside down world have we gotten to where this is even a question in this man’s case?!? Who made this decision? Let’s see them hauled into public view and identified for the utterly cowardly humans they are. Every stupid decision has a human at the other end responsible. Name and shame the perps who would endanger this poor chap.

  10. Legacy of Simon Stevens and years of moving goalposts.

    It should not be this way, but this gentleman needs advocacy and legal assistance.Had past dealings with CHC on behalf of a loved one who received it while alive, who like the person in the article had complex needs and honestly the situation does not surprise me in the slightest

    You need people involved who understand the framework and are able to reference cases which have gone to court in the past (back then, the Coughlan case was commonly referenced)

    Here’s the thing – if he has to resort to local authority/council assistance to meet his care needs, he is likely going to wind up in a care unit (regardless if he wants to or not) Its exactly why we have systems such as CHC in the first place.

    Hits close to home because around the time the Winterborne scandal broke we were fighting to stop a loved one being forced into a similar institution against their own will.
    It all boiled down to money.
    These are wonderful, remarkable individuals.. and the callous way they are looked at like numbers (and considered “disposable” by others) pisses me off.. makes me wonder how damaged those making decisions must be to have such disregard for someone else.

  11. My dad had a completely messed up spine. The week he was in to get his assessment he was doing just a little bit better. We found out that was because cancer was keeping his spine together better than noting till it grew and completely paralysed him. I lost my dad a few months later. We found out my dad who had been able to bend over and pick up a piece of paper off the floor and scream for five minutes instead of the normal ten at his assessment that they said he was fit for work at the assessment and my dad was given the letter saying he was fit for work the day he was told he had a terminal diagnosis. It’s not just the NHS but all the system.

    The horrible thing is my brother wants the NHS gone. By the American system if we never had an NHS I’d be completely blind right now.

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