NHS Funding in Wales
At the present time the NHS in Wales is not routinely funding SDR nor (as far as we know) referrals for assessment for SDR, but this may be set to change very soon as a result of the Commissioning through Evaluation process just launched in England (17 July 2014). Despite this lack of routine referral, some families have recently been able to secure referrals via their clinician, on the understanding that the assessment is self-funded.
We have been told that the Welsh NHS will be included in a new process for funding SDR in the UK, called Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE). This new process makes provision for children aged between 3 and 10 who meet the acceptance criteria. The organisation responsible for making the decision about this in Wales is the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee. The purpose of the CtE process is to collect evidence in a standard form for each person receiving SDR. We now know that up to 120 children per year will have SDR funded in England, and we understand that a small number (maybe 5 or 6) of Wales-based children will be included in addition to this. There are also no published timescales for when this process, in Wales, will start.
NHS England has selected the following five Trusts across England to provide SDR as part of its Commissioning through Evaluation initiative:
For more information on the new CtE process in England please visit the press release HERE.
Given this uncertainty, and the fact that there can often be considerable delay between referrals and assessments, it is worth noting that receiving an assessment from St Louis Children's Hospital is free and does not require a referral from a doctor. An acceptance will not commit you to having SDR there. The recommendation from St Louis is based on information sent to them, including videos, spinal x-rays and some other information. For more information see their website HERE.
Finally, It is important to note that the acceptance criteria for the English and Welsh commissioning study are still fairly narrow. This is because funding is limited and SDR in this form is fairly new to the UK. Children with Gross Motor Function scores in groups 1 (highly mobile) and 4 (more severely affected) may not be accepted by the English centres, but our knowledge of many children in these categories demonstrates that they have benefitted from SDR. If your child is not accepted by an English hospital this does not mean that they will not, or never, benefit from SDR.
We have been told that the Welsh NHS will be included in a new process for funding SDR in the UK, called Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE). This new process makes provision for children aged between 3 and 10 who meet the acceptance criteria. The organisation responsible for making the decision about this in Wales is the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee. The purpose of the CtE process is to collect evidence in a standard form for each person receiving SDR. We now know that up to 120 children per year will have SDR funded in England, and we understand that a small number (maybe 5 or 6) of Wales-based children will be included in addition to this. There are also no published timescales for when this process, in Wales, will start.
NHS England has selected the following five Trusts across England to provide SDR as part of its Commissioning through Evaluation initiative:
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Ormond Street Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
For more information on the new CtE process in England please visit the press release HERE.
Given this uncertainty, and the fact that there can often be considerable delay between referrals and assessments, it is worth noting that receiving an assessment from St Louis Children's Hospital is free and does not require a referral from a doctor. An acceptance will not commit you to having SDR there. The recommendation from St Louis is based on information sent to them, including videos, spinal x-rays and some other information. For more information see their website HERE.
Finally, It is important to note that the acceptance criteria for the English and Welsh commissioning study are still fairly narrow. This is because funding is limited and SDR in this form is fairly new to the UK. Children with Gross Motor Function scores in groups 1 (highly mobile) and 4 (more severely affected) may not be accepted by the English centres, but our knowledge of many children in these categories demonstrates that they have benefitted from SDR. If your child is not accepted by an English hospital this does not mean that they will not, or never, benefit from SDR.
