I know there is a lot of comment and post concerning this subject, and I appologise to break the thread.
However, it is now 59 pages long so much of the information is burried deep.
so I would like to invite any who have up-to-date experiences to comment...
We received the standard “didn’t find a primary healthcare need” but you can have the consolation prize of NHS funded healthcare (£233/wk). The assessors started to pack up and the social worker began the “it will need to go to brokerage” talk and, “it is likely that we will probably have to move Dad to a cheaper home.”
Process was flawed, predetermined outcome steered by NHS finance department.
So obviously unrepresentative and unfair you immediately look for who can help in this very niche area.
I looked at 2 offering with two different approaches:
They cannot "represent" you or if they do it's the £200/hr plus expenses
In summary you do a lot of the work, they oversee and help prepare. You do your own appeal (if it comes to that)
Cost for this £2K + VAT
“C” seems to have more direct approach, Reminiscent of PPI mis selling offers “we’ll do it all for you”. They talk about getting the "blows" in first, shocking the other side by demanding full patient records and medical documents immediately. They boast of “Fast Tracking” appeals and how they can create such pressure that sometimes the NHS CHC do “U turns” and change decisions. They state all they need is the next-of-kin’s consent and they can produce their responses in weeks so fast the CHC doesn’t have time to prepare.
Cost for this £6800 up front (before any work starts)
If they had to represent you that's another £7K
My questions:
Has anybody had direct experience of working with a “CHC appeal” company, and did your experience lead you to feel it was money worth spending?
Is doing most of it yourself easier (e.g. accessing documents), will they know enough about your case?
Do these “fast track” services actually work, or are they a method just to “bounce” the other side into not being able to respond within the timeframe, and as such win by default?
Are there any guarantees?
Is the knowledge of the “way things work” and the “short cuts” bragged about by “C” actually an advantage?
I have been told the system is deliberately complicated and contradictory so to confuse and without the involvement of one of these companies things will take much longer and possibly not conclude before the parent dies. Is this true by any bodies experience?
“C” indicated that THEY could get hold of Hospital records, GP Records, Care home files and the various NHS reports with no difficulty, is this true?
For many considering the loss of all assets their parents have saved over a lifetime this is a tempting prospect , but is there a way through without such expense?
However, it is now 59 pages long so much of the information is burried deep.
so I would like to invite any who have up-to-date experiences to comment...
We received the standard “didn’t find a primary healthcare need” but you can have the consolation prize of NHS funded healthcare (£233/wk). The assessors started to pack up and the social worker began the “it will need to go to brokerage” talk and, “it is likely that we will probably have to move Dad to a cheaper home.”
Process was flawed, predetermined outcome steered by NHS finance department.
So obviously unrepresentative and unfair you immediately look for who can help in this very niche area.
I looked at 2 offering with two different approaches:
- A proper solicitor who specialises in CHC appeals we’ll call ”FD”
- A “team” company prompted as 1st search hit on the web we’ll call “C”
They cannot "represent" you or if they do it's the £200/hr plus expenses
In summary you do a lot of the work, they oversee and help prepare. You do your own appeal (if it comes to that)
Cost for this £2K + VAT
“C” seems to have more direct approach, Reminiscent of PPI mis selling offers “we’ll do it all for you”. They talk about getting the "blows" in first, shocking the other side by demanding full patient records and medical documents immediately. They boast of “Fast Tracking” appeals and how they can create such pressure that sometimes the NHS CHC do “U turns” and change decisions. They state all they need is the next-of-kin’s consent and they can produce their responses in weeks so fast the CHC doesn’t have time to prepare.
Cost for this £6800 up front (before any work starts)
If they had to represent you that's another £7K
My questions:
Has anybody had direct experience of working with a “CHC appeal” company, and did your experience lead you to feel it was money worth spending?
Is doing most of it yourself easier (e.g. accessing documents), will they know enough about your case?
Do these “fast track” services actually work, or are they a method just to “bounce” the other side into not being able to respond within the timeframe, and as such win by default?
Are there any guarantees?
Is the knowledge of the “way things work” and the “short cuts” bragged about by “C” actually an advantage?
I have been told the system is deliberately complicated and contradictory so to confuse and without the involvement of one of these companies things will take much longer and possibly not conclude before the parent dies. Is this true by any bodies experience?
“C” indicated that THEY could get hold of Hospital records, GP Records, Care home files and the various NHS reports with no difficulty, is this true?
For many considering the loss of all assets their parents have saved over a lifetime this is a tempting prospect , but is there a way through without such expense?