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WQ.70/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. JOHN
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 25th FEBRUARY 2020
Question
Will the Minister advise whether there are any plans to reinstate the States subsidy for homecare services delivered by Family Nursing and Home Care, following its removal in 2016?
Answer
There are no plans to reinstate the States subsidy for homecare services delivered by Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC).
It may be helpful to set the context of the change in 2016. The introduction of the long-term care scheme in 2014, which included funding of care provided by approved providers in people's homes, prompted a change in the market for homecare. There are now more than 20 approved providers of homecare on the Island. Given this increase in the number of providers, it was no longer appropriate or fair for Health and Community Services to carry on subsidising a single homecare provider – FNHC – such that it could continue to charge well below market rates. Other providers received no such subsidy and their clients were already paying market rates.
To help those who might have had difficulty in meeting the cost of higher care fees, HCS worked with the Social Security Department in introducing a new Income Support flexible personal care component, with the assessment process based on the same one as required for packages approved under the existing long- term care scheme.
My department continues to commission services from FNHC, which include district nursing, health visiting, rapid response, reablement, and services for children. HCS meets FNHC on a regular basis to measure progress and to work in partnership to develop services.