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| NHS personal health budgets 'spent on patient treats' | NHS personal health budgets 'spent on patient treats' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thousands of pounds from NHS "personal health budgets" are being spent on "treats" such as holidays and clothes, an investigation has found. | Thousands of pounds from NHS "personal health budgets" are being spent on "treats" such as holidays and clothes, an investigation has found. |
| Pulse magazine said money had also gone on horse riding, art classes, massage, and, in one case, a summer house. | Pulse magazine said money had also gone on horse riding, art classes, massage, and, in one case, a summer house. |
| The budgets were brought in by the government to give people with long-term conditions more control and choice over their healthcare and support. | The budgets were brought in by the government to give people with long-term conditions more control and choice over their healthcare and support. |
| NHS England said all spending had to be agreed with the health service. | NHS England said all spending had to be agreed with the health service. |
| Hiring pedalos | Hiring pedalos |
| Patients decide with medical professionals how the money from their personal budget should be spent. | |
| It can be used on services such as therapies to help with depression, and assistance with personal care such as dressing and washing. | It can be used on services such as therapies to help with depression, and assistance with personal care such as dressing and washing. |
| Pulse, a magazine for GPs, used the Freedom of Information Act to find out how personal health budgets were spent in England in 2014-15. | Pulse, a magazine for GPs, used the Freedom of Information Act to find out how personal health budgets were spent in England in 2014-15. |
| Full responses were obtained from 33 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) out of 209. | Full responses were obtained from 33 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) out of 209. |
| The British Medical Association said it continued to have real reservations about the scheme and "the inappropriate use of scarce NHS money on non-evidence based therapies". | The British Medical Association said it continued to have real reservations about the scheme and "the inappropriate use of scarce NHS money on non-evidence based therapies". |
| Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of its general practitioners' committee, said: "While individuals may themselves value a massage or summer house, others will understandably start to question why they can't also have such things paid for by the state - and that will just fuel demand." | Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of its general practitioners' committee, said: "While individuals may themselves value a massage or summer house, others will understandably start to question why they can't also have such things paid for by the state - and that will just fuel demand." |
| 'Quality of life' | 'Quality of life' |
| A spokesman for NHS England said: "Personal health budgets are designed to meet identified health needs in ways that give patients more control over the care and support they receive. | A spokesman for NHS England said: "Personal health budgets are designed to meet identified health needs in ways that give patients more control over the care and support they receive. |
| "The spending must be agreed between the individual and the NHS, meet the patient's individual health needs and achieve the desired outcomes. | "The spending must be agreed between the individual and the NHS, meet the patient's individual health needs and achieve the desired outcomes. |
| "An independent evaluation has shown that personal health budgets are cost effective, help people manage their health and improve quality of life." | "An independent evaluation has shown that personal health budgets are cost effective, help people manage their health and improve quality of life." |