Continuing healthcare may cost Bradford and Airedale its contingency

PCTs across the country received large numbers of claims for unpaid fees stretching back over several years, ahead of a cut-off deadline in September.

Bradford and Airedale cluster papers for January do not put a figure on its potential liability. However a paper says: “Retrospective claims for continuing healthcare have been identified as a financial pressure. The PCT has received 545 enquiries and of these 142 packs have been returned and are being assessed by the continuing healthcare team.

“The SHA has issued guidance that letters will be sent out at the end of December for unreturned packs to give one months notice that packs must be returned or the application will not be accepted. The potential financial liability from these claims is still being assessed but it presents a financial risk to the PCT. The PCT is intending to utilise any unused reserves/contingency to cover this potential liability… The PCT has contingency reserves of £3.5m and these are forecast to be fully spent in year.”