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Mum's fear as carers hit by NHS payment failure

Victoria WaltonOxfordshire political reporter
News imageAlison Baker A young woman is on a swing. She is wearing a sun hat and looks happy. A woman is standing behind her, smiling. It's a sunny day and both women look happy.Alison Baker
Charlie Baker's NHS-funded care was almost withdrawn in May following payment delays

The mother of a severely autistic woman says the potential withdrawal of her daughter's care, caused by ongoing failures within the NHS to pay for the service, could have endangered her life.

The care provider that supports Alison Baker's daughter Charlie, was left £60,000 in debt and on the brink of collapse. It followed two months of unpaid invoices due to problems with the Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (ICB) systems.

The payment was eventually made after Alison Baker raised a safeguarding concern that Charlie's medical conditions could be adversely affected by disruption to her care.

Thames Valley ICB apologised and said it "recognised the difficulty suppliers are currently facing".

As well as being autistic, Charlie Baker is blind, has epilepsy and lives with a medical condition that means her body is unable to create the stress hormone cortisol.

It means unexpected change can be fatal unless medication is provided quickly.

She receives Continuing Health Care (CHC), funded by the NHS, allowing her to live at home despite her complex medical needs.

Charlie's mum, Alison said the programme enabled Charlie to live "the life she wants to live".

News imageAlison Baker A young woman is at a play park. She is wearing a sun hat and looks happy. A woman is standing next to her, holding her hand. It's a sunny day and both women look happy.Alison Baker
Charlie's Continuing Health Care invoice was one of 16,000 left unpaid in the Thames Valley

The specialist care - provided by Oxfordshire company, Care with Heart - includes two carers and one staying overnight overnight. It costs £20,000 a month.

But after Thames Valley ICB's online payment system failed to pay two invoices, in April and May, Care with Heart was left on the brink of collapse.

With the carers having built up a relationship with Charlie, Alison said having continuity of care was crucial to her daughter's health and wellbeing.

It was only after Alison raised a safeguarding concern, over fears a sudden change in provider could raise Charlie's cortisol to dangerous levels that would require admission to hospital, that the payments were made.

"Charlie has quite significant needs for the people who support her to know exactly how to support her.

"She needs her carers to know everything that's required to support her," she said.

Care with Heart founder Sophia Trinder said she was forced to borrow £13,000 to keep the company afloat, as unpaid CHC invoices mounted up to more than £60,000.

"Because we're a small organisation and the care packages we provide are very big, they provide a high percentage of our income.

"And if there's a problem with invoices being delayed, it makes us very vulnerable very quickly," she said.

News imageA woman is wearing a blue jacket and sitting on a park bench. She is smiling at the camera
Sophia Trinder needed to borrow £13,000 to keep her care company afloat following delayed payments by the NHS

According to Eddy McDowall, chief executive of the Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers, said 16,000 CHC invoices have been left unpaid across the Thames Valley, totalling £44m.

He described the situation as "the biggest crisis in adult social care since the pandemic" and said the financial burden should not fall on providers.

"We're asking the ICB to take on the financial risk for that £44m, which if we calculate that as part of the ICB overall budget of £6bn, it adds up to 0.73%"

Speaking on BBC Radio Oxford, Sam Burrows, chief system development and engagement officer at Thames Valley ICB, said it hoped to have all outstanding payments made "in the next couple of months."

"We know that it's not good enough and we are sorry", he added.

Any care providers facing urgent cash-flow problems have been advised to contact Thames Valley ICB.