Further to the government’s new national framework for NHS-funded care introduced on 1 october, our experts were asked to discuss the following statement: ‘The national framework for NHS continuing care is a useful tool for identifying the full range of support services required by clients. it will help prompt local services development to meet these needs’

The National Framework is set in a perfect world where comprehensive old age assessment appears to be universally available. I suspect that many care home residents experience would show otherwise. Let me explain: I think it is important that we are clear about what the Framework is intended to achieve. From the NHS perspective its aim is to identify eligibility for services which the NHS is willing to fund, either as fully funded continuing healthcare or as NHS funded nursing care. Fully funded care includes a social care element too. It does not aim to extend access to a fuller range of services or to address the needs of those who fall outside of this band of eligibility.